


Phantom Watchers

by Mazanica



Category: Five Nights at Freddy's
Genre: Eventual Sexual Themes, Generalizing years to all be the same as or similar to Earth’s for simplicity purposes thx, HOMOSEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS, Hinted self-harm/thoughts of self harm, M/M, Mangle’s gender never confirmed, Meaning there is a relationship with a minor, Normalized severe child abuse, Original/Toy, PLANET NAME PUNS, Problematic governments and ideologies, Racial tension/racism, Sci-fi and survival elements, Somewhat depressive themes, Toy Bonnie and Toy Freddy are both under 18, Unpronounceable languages, Violence, tho he’s 17-ish at the time
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-13
Updated: 2018-01-20
Packaged: 2018-07-14 21:46:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 92,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7192013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mazanica/pseuds/Mazanica
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“So, our experiment lineup: two Bears from Ursius; a third Bear from the Ursian colony Ardraw, better known as MB27X; two Foxes from the new Vulpinia planet; two Chickens from Avia...; two Humans from Earth...; two Rabbits from the Lapinian colony Lacatra, better known as Alpha C 301...; and a third Rabbit from Lapinia itself... And we agreed the Common Language to be the Earthen language English, yes?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Bonsha, I honestly believe this spells disaster.”</p><p>--</p><p>Bandi wasn't a typical Lapinian, but he learned early on how to play the part. He played it so well that he didn't even know who he was anymore.</p><p>Then he woke up on a strange planet with eleven people that he never should have met. Can he work with them, many of whom have preconceived notions about him that just don't apply, to survive? Can they figure out what's really going on, or why the one who's never dreamed before is being plagued by nightmares? What is watching from the shadows and who is pulling the strings here? </p><p>And maybe, between all of these questions... without the interference of his authorities... with the help of new, unexpected friends... can Bandi finally figure out who he really is?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introduction: A Bitter Past

**Author's Note:**

> Have the introduction of a fic I started working on between writing for my other stories. It’s a lot less high-maintenance and focuses on one pairing/two characters (from different perspectives when needed), not two/four or five/ten…

On a planet, far away and out of sight of Earth, a single sprawling city encompasses the entirety of the planet; sitting on the earth itself, sitting on the oceans, and even floating through the sky, the world was obviously a technological wonderland. A scientist’s wet dream, if you would, with its sleek, tall skyscrapers of chrome and glass and its vast underground road systems and underwater tunnels.  
  
It was populated by a race of rabbit-like creatures who had been exploring the universe around them for many thousands of years by that point- long before the modern people of earth developed and began to turn to the stars for answers. They, much as humans did, walked on two legs and had evolved opposable thumbs, allowing them to build things that their ancestors could have only ever dreamed. They were advanced and they were intelligent, and as long as they obeyed the rules, they were _happy_.  
  
However, even in a world where the common person knew more than most scientists on Earth put together did, even this planet had its... _geniuses_. They were not rare, per se, but they were not common and they were highly desirable to have as _your_ child.  
  
This planet was not like Earth. They did not view children the way humans did. To them, children were meant to be molded into what their parents wanted them to be. To them, children were extensions of their parents. Their property, if you would. They began training and school the moment they were able to. By the time a child on this planet was two years old, they should know their basic maths and their alphabet. But, sometimes, there came a child who comprehended _more_ than the basics at this tender age. Sometimes, there came a child who was unlike its peers. A child who knew more than they had any right to know or understand.  
  
Such was the case in the home of General Commander Akrai Cator, sitting just outside the center of the Capital Square.  
  
A tiny blue rabbit, sitting on the floor and playing with a supposed toy, looked up from his hologram as he heard footsteps approaching from the room next to his. He continued looking up, up, up until he could see the face of an adult rabbit woman. In her hands she held a holoscreen- a device that was made of two strange metallic rectangles that, when separated, formed a screen between. Kneeling down in front of the toddler, she pulled the top and bottom from each other, the holographic page spreading between the two bars. The child tilted his head slightly, his eyes scanning over the numbers and symbols on the screen and frowning.  
  
The equation made no sense to him.  
  
“Bandi, tell us the answer to this equation,” the woman commanded as another, unfamiliar rabbit came to a stop next to him, a strange device held in his hands. Bandi frowned at the screen and turned his eyes back to his hologram, lightly tapping on the shutdown icon so as not to waste its power source. It looked like this would take a bit.  
  
“I can’t solve it, mom,” he answered once the hologram disappeared, leaving him with a small device no bigger than his toddler thumb.  
  
“Just try it, Bandi,” his mother pushed, and the small rabbit frowned and looked up at her, brows drawn together.  
  
“But it can’t be solved,” he countered, shaking his head adamantly. “You can’t divide kindar by tryvid, and the roklon makes the entire second half obsolete!”  
  
The rabbit male standing next to his mother raised a brow, glancing down at his device. “Correct,” he muttered. “Ma’am, you said your son is only two and a half?”  
  
“Yes, sir,” she said proudly, closing the holoscreen and tapping something on the side. When she opened it again, a new equation was on the page. “And this one, Bandi?”  
  
Bandi looked at the holoscreen, a frown tugging at his lips. He could remember reading about this kind of equation in his mother’s books, the ones kept in the library… “Isolate the variable and divide it by strev… multiply by kin and divide the answer by tryvid. Then multiply that by twenty-nine point seven, subtract four, and you get tryvid-eight dash one two six gar.”  
  
“Correct.” The man sounded genuinely surprised, raising a brow at the child. Bandi tilted his head slightly, curious, as the man typed something into his strange device. _What is he doing?_  
  
“One more, Bandi.” He turned his gaze back to his mother as she opened the holoscreen again. Another, less familiar, equation was on the screen, but something didn’t... _look_ right…  
  
“That’s written wrong,” he giggled, looking up at his mother. “If that was right then the whole planet would die, mom! According to the Akrias principle, that much pressure would crush an _atom_. You need to switch gar and tryvid around, and replace one with zero.”  
  
“Correct,” the man announced. “Three for three advanced education equations at two years old. We’ll take him in for extra testing, Ma’am Martel.”  
  
Bandi blinked owlishly and looked up at his beaming mother. “Testing?” he questioned, but neither adult answered him.  
  
“That’s wonderful!” the woman praised, smiling down at Bandi. “If he’s confirmed, we’ll begin all of the proper training right away.” Bandi looked between the adults, his ears lowering. _Training?_ He had a bad feeling in his stomach, but at that age he didn’t understand dread. It was a foreign concept that would never be taught to the child.  
  
“Thank you for your time. If you would get your son’s most necessary belongings, we’ll be on our way. He’ll be back within the next three days.”  
  
At just two years old, as he watched his mother begin gathering his clothes together, Bandi suddenly felt like he had made a horrible mistake.

* * *

He jumped up and down excitedly in his room, strumming the strings on the strange, primitive thing his father had brought home from one of the colonies. At four years old, the instrument was too big for him to hold, but that didn’t stop him from exploring it and learning everything he could about it.  
  
It had no screens, no buttons, and no holograms, but it made the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. It wasn’t made of metal, but it was cool and smooth to the touch. It was the nicest-feeling thing he had ever touched. It wasn’t silver or white or black but a deep colour that Bandi had never seen before- except when his father took him to see the oxygen factories, of course. It was the colour of the trees, but so much richer, purer, _redder_.  
  
It was _beautiful_ and his father had given it to _him_. He couldn’t _wait_ to be old enough to actually _use_ it, and a wide smile broke out on his face at the thought of actually holding the instrument in his hands.  
  
_Chaska_. That was what his father called it. It was a foreign word and it settled strangely, but deliciously, on his tongue. _Chaska, from the colony Alpha C 301._ They had nothing like it on Lapinia. He had no idea what the sounds it made could be called. He didn’t even know what an instrument was, besides a scientific instrument used in experimentation or observation, but this definitely was not _that_.  
  
Whatever it was, it was beautiful. More beautiful than any shiny chrome device he had ever held in his hand was.

* * *

Things weren’t exactly good for Lapinian children, though… especially ones who are discovered to be young geniuses.  
  
“You must question everything. Take nothing at face value, except the word of your authorities; your parents and your government. They know best, Bandi, you must never disobey them. Give them the respect they deserve.”  
  
“Investigate everything. You must know how everything works, or you will be ignorant. Ignorance is unacceptable. Ignorance gets you sent to the camps. Do you want to be sent to the camps, Bandi?”  
  
“Sometimes our base instincts try to manifest themselves. We are evolved, Bandi. We are intelligent. We must ignore those primitive instincts. Physical attraction is obsolete, the Matching will provide you with your ideal mate. Pain is not real, it is simply a creation of the mind; we are intelligent and evolved, Bandi. Pain should not affect us. Sadness and anger are illogical, and we are not illogical creatures, Bandi.”  
  
Yes, there were many lessons Bandi learned, but the one he hated most was the lesson on _pain_.  
  
His father held his wrists against the floor and had his other hand pressed firmly against Bandi’s back so that he couldn’t squirm. He was only five years old, and even he could tell that pain was not only in the mind. He could tell it was completely physical- nothing _in the mind_ about that!  
  
The knife sliding across his shoulder blades was agony, and he desperately bit his lip and screwed his eyes shut. If he made a single sound, it would only prolong the lesson.  
  
“No reaction, Bandi,” his mother hissed, pulling the blade away and watching the small rabbit tremble. “If you even so much as _tremble_ during the government exam, your grade will drop. We don’t take anything less than perfection, Bandi.”  
  
He felt tears in the corner of his eyes. He hoped neither his mother or father saw them. Tears only made things worse.  
  
“We are intelligent and evolved. You are moreso. Pain is just an illusion. Stop crying, crying will get you an instant fail! Bandi, if you fail your pain endurance test, you’ll be sent to camp. Do you want to be sent to camp? And if you fail it twice, you’ll end up _below_. Do you want to go _below_ , Bandi? Do you?”  
  
Five years old, he failed his parents’ test. It wasn’t the first time, but it was the last time.

* * *

At least, it was the last time he _actually_ failed.

He stared at the report on the holoscreen, his mother’s angry face staring down at him. He was just seven years old and had had his first major class exam that year… and he felt horrified with himself. His previously untarnished record of perfection- gone.  
  
“Ninety-eight percentage? What is the meaning of this, Bandi?!”  
  
Bandi winced and looked at the ground. Ninety-eight percentage wasn’t a bad score. In fact, it was good. Most of his classmates barely got seventy-three percentage… but when he tried to say so, it only made his mother angrier.  
  
“You are not your classmates, Bandi! You are certified by the Government to be a genius! You should be getting one-hundred percentages! You should be making perfect scores on everything! You should be correcting the _teacher_ , even. This- this is unacceptable!”  
  
Bandi glanced up at his mother. He didn’t cry, though he desperately _wanted_ to. Crying wasn’t logical.  
  
He’d known she’d be angry the moment he found out he had missed that single question. It wasn’t _his_ fault it was worded strangely, but no one would listen to _him_.  
  
His mother stared down, harsh and unforgiving. And then she said something that made his heart clench.  
  
“I’m taking that stupid Chaska from you. It’s obviously posing a distraction. I should have known better than to let such a worthless device into my house. Improve your grades and maybe you’ll get it back.”  
  
He stared, wide-eyed, as she whirled around and marched into his bedroom. He did nothing to stop her, though.  
  
After all, parents knew best, didn’t they? He had to give them the respect they deserved.

* * *

“We believe your son would be more useful to the people of Lapinia if he is switched into a dual pathway.”  
  
“What dual pathway were you thinking, Chancellor?”  
  
“I see you selected military pathway when he was born, but as of right now he has the highest scores in _every_ division from _every_ school level _planet_ -wide. We believe he would be _much_ better suited in the science pathway- but not just _generic_ sciences. He seems to show an advanced knowledge of the ships your troops use, General Commander Cator. We believe a military-science pathway would be...”  
  
Bandi frowned and quietly shut his bedroom door, leaning against the wall next to it and sliding down to the floor. He had turned eleven years old recently, but it didn’t mean much anymore. He let his head fall against the wall and lightly stroked the wood of his Chaska sitting next to him. He wanted so badly to play it, but that would get his mother’s attention and he’d get in trouble.  
  
He enjoyed playing it, still. It was the _only_ thing he enjoyed anymore; when he played it, he felt like the world surrounding him, restricting him, melted away. He felt like he wasn’t Bandi Cator, certified genius son of the General Commander Akrai Cator and Doctor Aniya Martel. He felt like his own individual person. He felt like… like…  
  
Like _Blu_.  
  
He turned his gaze down to the instrument, feeling another emotion he had never learned the name of; longing. It was still beautiful no matter how damaged it had gotten in the last three or so years. It had been nearly an entire year before he managed to convince his mother to hand it back into his possession, but now he was only allowed to play it after dinner, when it was inappropriate to study.  
  
_Studying._ That was all his life had become. School, study, endurance lessons, and sometimes he had time to play. _I should have pretended to be an idiot._  
  
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He felt like his heart hurt, but he shut the feeling out. _It’s only in your mind, Bandi. It’s not real._  
  
He didn’t shed a single tear.

* * *

“Tell me what some of your interests are, Bandi.”  
  
He stared straight ahead with dull eyes, ignoring the agonizing pain shooting up and down his right arm as the scalpel carved deep lines into his hand and along his forearm. He knew such deep cuts would scar, even if they were treated immediately with the best, most advanced medical devices. There would simply be too much damage.  
  
The rabbit sitting in front of him dragged the scalpel slowly, careful not to cause any irreversible damage but intensely studying Bandi’s expression and posture. He kept his expression blank and his posture relaxed.  
  
“I just enjoy technology,” he answered flatly. It was a lie, of course. Truth be told, Bandi was _sick_ of technology. He had begun to _hate_ it years ago, long before he turned fifteen and had to take the dreaded Endurance Test. If technology all disappeared and every single person on Lapinia died, including himself, because they could not survive without it, he could _not_ care less.  
  
He’d _welcome_ it, even.  
  
“Just technology?”  
  
_Seven minutes and thirty three point twelve seconds_ , he noted silently to himself. “There’s nothing else worth being interested in.” Another lie, but he knew it was the answer they were waiting for. On Lapinia, technology was their life.  
  
Not for Bandi. In fact, to Bandi… technology represented _everything_ he hated. His government, his parents, his culture, his planet, and _himself._  
  
“Good, good,” the government official murmured, and Bandi risked glancing down at his arm.  
  
The blue fur was stained red and he could even see a drop collecting on his fingertip. His arm was completely relaxed, and he made sure not to tense it as he watched the blood drip down to the floor. Pain like this had stopped bothering him years ago. It was just another one of his parents’ tests… but there had never been that much blood before.  
  
_Fascinating._  
  
He almost smiled at the sight but he caught himself in time. _Neutral, Bandi. Neutral._  
  
“Tell me, how long have you been in this room, Bandi?”  
  
“Eight minutes and forty-nine point seventy-eight seconds,” he answered without hesitance.  
  
“Hm, precise. Very well, you’re done here. Send the next student in and head to the nurse’s office.”  
  
Bandi didn’t raise a brow as he turned to leave, despite it being his first instinct. The fact that they were sending him to a nurse despite the medical device sitting _right behind_ the official told Bandi all he needed to know.  
  
The Test was not over.  
  
He kept his expression neutral, his eyes dull, despite the fact that he _really_ wanted to scream and cry. Not from the pain- it definitely hurt but he could deal with that, it was only in his mind after all- but because everybody seemed perfectly okay with putting _fifteen-year-olds_ through this _every year._  
  
_What’s the point of this anyway?_ Bandi wondered, opening the door with his uninjured hand. He did it simply so none of his blood got on the door. He stepped out into the hall, and every fifteen year old student turned to look at him. Dully, he called out, “Five seven nine,” and then he turned and walked down the hall. He knew he was still being watched by a tester.  
  
He remained neutral.  
  
When he reached the nurse, he knocked and waited for permission to enter. The nurse turned to look at him and gestured him over, pulling out something that looked… very primitive, actually. _I knew the test wasn’t over._  
  
“Hello, Bandi Cator,” the nurse greeted, giving him a kind smile. “Let me patch up your hand.”  
  
He held his hand out without hesitance, noting as they raised a brow at the state of his arm. _I guess they don’t normally do that. He must have really wanted to make me crack. Joke’s on him, mother and father have been doing worse than that for eight years now._  
  
“Does this hurt?” the nurse asked as they held his hand. He watched boredly as the needle pierced his skin and pulled through, sewing the slices back together. _Very primitive._  
  
“Pain is only in the mind,” he recited with no emotion. “It doesn’t matter if it hurts. Pain isn’t real.”  
  
He knew it was the answer they were looking for. He knew that when he got home, his parents would use a proper medikit after removing the thread from his skin. This method was outdated by at _least_ eight hundred years, and Bandi could see they weren’t even doing it correctly. _I doubt you’re actually a nurse._  
  
“Good, good. Well then,” the “nurse” sighed, washing the blood off of his arm. He was almost disappointed to see it go. _Red is a really nice colour._ “You’re free to go. Head to the front desk to receive your score.”  
  
Bandi nodded and politely said, “Thank you, nurse.” He turned around and walked out of the door, heading towards the front room where his parents, among others, were waiting. He walked up behind them and looked up at the holoboard above the round desk, frowning as the names were encoded and popped up on the screen for everyone to see.  
  
_Jaia Soln: 75% - PASS_  
_Hilder Dit: 92% - EXCEEDS_  
_Fen Carn: 26% - FAIL_  
  
Then his name popped up, and as he looked at the screen he felt no joy at all.  
  
_Bandi Cator- 100% - EXCEEDS_  
  
“Wonderful job, Bandi!” his father praised, beaming down at him.  
  
“Come, let’s get our download so we can put it on the wall,” his mother added.  
  
He watched as his parents headed towards the counter then his eyes trailed up to the board again. He got a perfect score again, but it didn’t make him feel happy. In fact, it made him feel... disappointed. He… felt… _angry,_ even. His parents were overjoyed, but he _hated_ it. Why should he be happy? He got a perfect score in how to be an emotionless, unresponsive, obedient little _robot._ The perfect Lapinian, if you would. And around him, people were giving him _congratulations_ on it.

 _Oh joy, while you celebrate I’m slowly dying inside._  
  
But he couldn’t think like that. Thoughts and feelings like that… well...  
  
They were only in his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Chaska - Essentially a guitar, just a different language
> 
> I posted this as the introduction chapter so you can understand the irony of later chapters and just how much no one knows what goes on on Blu's planet
> 
> By the way, Bandi Cator is Toy Bonnie, in case you didn't catch that


	2. Strangers

“Hm... fascinating, is it not?”

“That depends on what you mean, my friend. What is fascinating?”

“Look at this planet. It’s an advanced technological wonder and everyone seems happy, but this... _one_ person... looks absolutely miserable. He would rather hole up with a primitive instrument from their most rebellious colony than work on a computer as his fellow citizens do.”

“Oh... that’s Lapinia."

"Yes, I know what planet it is. I selected it, remember? I just wonder why he looks so miserable when everyone else seems to be happy."

"They’re pretty abusive towards their children, actually. They think it’s building them up and molding them into the perfect adult. Most children are properly brainwashed by the time they are seven years old. This one looks at least fourteen, maybe older... I wonder what went wrong.”

“You sound as though you have experience.”

“That no longer matters. I _am_ curious, though... this Lapinian isn’t acting like a typical Lapinian. He seems to be... embracing a personal lifestyle more indicative of a colonist or Ursian. He is focusing solely on an instrument he doesn't even understand... and he seems to know decently enough how to play it. Hm... what’s this? His mother?”

“He is being lectured now it seems. And… she’s taking the instrument away? Yet still he just sits there… doing nothing? Yes... That doesn’t sound like a Lapinian to me. The Lapinians I have observed in the past have always had a strong drive to learn and explore, never sit idle staring at a wall...”

“It is possible that he knows everything about his world already. There is nothing more for him to explore _or_ learn- it is normal, boring, and perhaps even, hm… _painful_ to him. ... Maybe... Perhaps... I think... we should use this one for the experiment as well.”

“A _Lapinian?_ You do realize he would never survive on H3MR-2X, right?”

“I think you’re underestimating him. Besides, it might be helpful for the others to have a Lapinian on their side. I think... they will figure the planet out quicker. A higher chance at survival, even. It would prolong the experiment as well, we could possibly learn more...”

“He will clash horribly with the Lacatran colonists.”

“That is fine, it adds an interesting dynamic to this experiment. Besides, we have three Bears selected, so three Rabbits doesn't seem very out of place.”

“Yet two Chickens, two Foxes, and two Humans?”

“To be fair, Avia, Vulpinia, and Earth do not have colony planets.”

“Point taken. You’re sure you wish to use the Lapinian? If he dies, it’ll be on your hands, Bonsha.”

“I’m quite aware, Shafred. I just don’t think you’re giving him enough credit. Just look at him. He may not be very strong physically or interested in what is surrounding him... but he is clearly intelligent and, ah... _hurting_ , I think. He seems to reject Lapinia as much as the Lacatrans do.”

“If you insist. So, our experiment lineup: two Bears from Ursius; a third Bear from the Ursian colony Ardraw, better known as MB27X; two Foxes from the new Vulpinia planet; two Chickens from Avia, which lacks advanced technology; two Humans from Earth, which also lacks advanced technology; two Rabbits from the Lapinian colony Lacatra, better known as Alpha C 301, which lacks _Earth-_ level technology; and a third Rabbit from Lapinia itself, which is the third most advanced race, behind our people and the Teppupians, in this quadrant of the universe. And we agreed the Common Language to be the Earthen language English, yes?”

“Yes.”

“Bonsha, I honestly believe this spells disaster.”

“Just trust me. Besides, it’s not like we’re emotionally invested in this experiment.”

“Very funny. If I still had emotions I’d have probably laughed.”

“If you did there wouldn’t have been a joke to make. Come, let’s speak to the Fuellers and Fritz, pass the addition to the experiment by them.”

* * *

It was warm.

That was the first thing that registered in the blue rabbit’s mind.

It was warm, and underneath him he could feel... grass? And dirt? And the scent in the air… it reminded him of the oxygen factories on his planet, where trees and other plants were grown in ways to maximize the production of oxygen... The air also felt rather... _damp_... It was strange...

_But I’m in my bedroom..._

That didn’t match up, though. His bedroom smelled like, well... actually, it didn’t _have_ a scent, except for his bedsheets. They had _his_ scent, but everything else in his room smelled of _nothingness_. This was, obviously, not “nothingness.”

The logical conclusion was that he wasn’t in his bedroom. If he wasn’t in his bedroom, then _where am I?_

His eyes opened slowly. All he could see was wispy greens and browns. It took him a moment to register that he was lying on the ground on his stomach, with his cheek against the dirt. He felt strangely groggy and weak... and lightheaded... as if he’d been...

_Tranquilized?!_

Suddenly, his eyes widened and he shoved himself off of the ground, swiftly standing and whirling around to look at his surroundings, ignoring the way his head seemed to be spinning.

There were several more creatures lying scattered around the clearing they were in. Right off the bat he noticed two more Rabbits and three Bears, and he was pretty sure there were Foxes, but the other four creatures were unfamiliar to him.

One of the Bears was stirring so he turned his gaze around again, studying their surroundings.

It _wasn’t_ a clearing, actually. They were all laying on the forest floor, the trees- all much larger than _anything_ he’d ever seen- decently spaced apart. He found himself looking up, up, up until his eyes found the canopy, so much further up than the factories’ roofs were. They were tall and the leaf cover was thick.

_And yet I can see as clear as day and grass is growing on the floor…_

A groan to his right got the blue Rabbit’s attention and his gaze snapped over to a red Fox as he slowly sat up, blinking around at their surroundings. The Bear from earlier was shaking a golden Bear awake, and the other two Rabbits were slowly standing up now. One of the strange hairless creatures was sitting, staring owlishly around, while neither of the feathered beings had moved yet.

“Nng… what the heck?”

Bandi turned his gaze back to the trees around, brow furrowing in concentration. _Humid forest, not tropical but there’s no leaves or their remains on the forest floor, so doesn’t look deciduous either... the soil is soft, doesn’t offer much grip. Sunlight getting through the canopy despite how thick it is? Thick, green grass on the floor despite all of this? Completely silent... This... doesn’t make sense._

“Ugh, Freddy...? What’s going on? Where are we?”

“What...”

Bandi didn’t look at the people around him. Instead he concentrated on his thoughts, frowning and ears flat. _I don’t... know. That’s a strange thing to say... I don’t..._ know... _I don’t know._

_Huh. Cool._

“Hey!” The angry voice sliced through Bandi’s thoughts just as that knife had cut through his skin just a year before. Even now, as the memory flashed through his mind, he could see the blood dripping onto the floor from his fingertips... “Lapinian!” The word was spat like a curse and Bandi realized immediately just what was calling out to him.

 _Oh. No. It’s a colonist,_ he sighed silently and turned his gaze to the other two Rabbits, letting his neutral expression slip into place. _Tall, broad shoulders, wiry muscle, look like they want to kill me- they must be from Alpha C 301. Brilliant, of all the beings to be trapped somewhere I don’t know with._

“Yes?” he questioned flatly. However, he didn’t give the colonists a chance to respond as he realized that something was _wrong wrong_ _wrong_ about the word he had spoken. He understood it yet it made no sense at all- it was unfamiliar, foreign on his tongue. Almost like... “Wait, what language is _this?!”_

The colonist had to pause at that comment, his anger being replaced by confusion as he realized that the language they were speaking was completely unfamiliar to them. The two woken Bears also paused and the Fox frowned in confusion; clearly it wasn’t any of _their_ languages either.

“Uh, English?” one of the strange fleshy creatures suggested, bemusement lacing its tone, as it reached over to its lookalike, shaking it. “Hey, stranger, wake up!”

“English...?” _What a strange word_.

Although he could understand all of the others’ words perfectly despite their strange foreign sounds, that one stuck out as having no meaning at all. It was just... _English_. It took him a moment to realize that it was the _name_ of the language; an unfamiliar language which had no name in Lapinian. _If I can understand the language but some words don’t translate..._

“Oh... a translation program,” he mumbled to himself, hand quickly going to his temple. _Did... did somebody really put a device to make us speak another_ language _in our brains? Talk about invasive...  
_

“Lapinian,” the purple-furred colonist repeated, glaring at him. Apparently he recovered quicker than the others and was just shoving the issue aside for the time being. “What did you do?!”

“Me?” Bandi looked at him, dropping his hand back to his side and letting his expression fall into neutrality again. He hadn’t even noticed it slip away in the first place… _I can’t slip up, not in front of a bunch of strangers_. “I did nothing.”

The colonist sneered at him, rolling his eyes. _Clearly he thinks me a liar. Jerk._ “Oh yes, like I’m going to believe that, you little-”

“Calm down,” the golden Bear suddenly cut in, stepping forward as the purple rabbit took a step towards Bandi. “If Lapinia was behind this I doubt they would have left one of their own kind here, especially a kid.”

Bandi’s ears twitched and he frowned, crossing his arms. _Kid?! I’m sixteen, I graduate school and start my Entrance Program in just a few months! “Kid” my ass!_ He didn’t voice these thoughts, though; he knew by Ursian standards he _was_ a kid, even if the Ursian government commonly dealt with seventeen, eighteen, and nineteen year old Lapinian delegates and knew they “grew up fast,” as the Ursian military officer who often conferred with his father had once noted. After all, the Ursians didn’t rob their children of their childhood like the Lapinians did.

But no one else needed to know that.

“Lapinia?” the squishy, fleshy thing from before questioned, voice thick with confusion, but no one paid it any mind for the time being. They could explain things later.

The colonist sneered towards Bandi. The blue Rabbit simply lifted his hands in a defensive gesture. “Hey, I had nothing to do with this, I’m still in school,” he huffed, glaring right back at the other Rabbit. “I don’t have _access_ to the things I’d need to do _this_ ,” he added, gesturing around at their surroundings. He didn’t want to admit he had no idea whatsoever where they were or what some of these beings were, though.

Admitting it to himself was strange enough.

“Agh,” another voice cut in before the colonist could respond, and Bandi’s gaze moved over towards the second Fox. He couldn’t tell right off the bat if it was male or female, but it was white and pink and seemed to be wearing some type of makeup. “I feel like I was hit by a train,” the Animal complained as it sat up, yellow eyes scanning their surroundings. “Uh...?”

“We don’t know,” the second Fox answered the unasked question.

“Do we not?” the darker brown Bear questioned, looking around them all. His eyes landed on Bandi.

 _Oh great, here we go with the expectations already._ “No, we don’t,” he deadpanned, gaze flickering off to the side. _How could you expect me to know, anyway? I’ve only seen this one stupid area!_

“That’s fine,” the third, smallest, Bear dismissed. Bandi hadn’t even realized he’d woken up. _Pay better attention, Bandi..._ “We’re somewhere strange that none of us recognize, obviously, so wherever we are we seem to be in a survival situation.”

“Wonderful,” the other Rabbit, this time a scarred golden Animal, scowled as he turned his grey gaze to the red-eyed colonist. “A survival situation, stuck with a Lapinian who’s probably never even _seen_ a tree before. Sounds like perfect odds.”

“Tell me about it,” the colonist muttered, rolling his eyes. Bandi scowled for a moment before schooling his expression back into indifference.

What did he care about a couple of colonists’ opinions? They were just colonists who knew nothing about him _or_ his planet. Their opinions didn’t even matter.

“We should at least learn everyone’s names,” the darker brown Bear suggested, eying them all. Bandi noticed that the two feathered creatures and the second fleshy being had also risen. “It’ll make getting along easier, I’m sure.”

“Ah, pardon the interruption, mate,” the red Fox suddenly cut in, “but who’s to say we should stick together at all?”

“It makes the odds of survival better,” the Bear answered simply. “Especially seeing as we have no idea where we are or what kind of things might be on this planet.”

The Fox frowned but he seemed to accept the answer... for the moment, anyway. “Well I be Foxy.”

 _He speaks strangely,_ Bandi noted silently. He chose not to share the observation.

“Vixy,” the other Fox put in. “But please, I prefer Mangle,” they added as they picked some grass out of their fur.

“Freddy and Goldie Fazbear,” the brown and gold Bears chorused.

“Those sound like Earthen names,” one of the fleshy beings muttered to the other. _Earthen._ That was a word that translated. _Terran. They're from Terra.  
_

“Fredric Farrell,” the third Bear introduced with a slight movement of his hand. Bandi wasn’t sure what it meant, but this Bear somehow looked different from the others. Smaller, more agile-looking. _Must be an Ursian colonist._

“Bonnie and Spring Trey,” the purple colonist introduced, crossing his arms and glancing towards his brother. The golden Rabbit tilted his head at his brother before they glanced at the strange fleshy beings.

“Mike Schmidt,” the darker-haired fleshy creature put in, watching them all with a strange expression. It was like he didn’t know what to think about the situation- as though the sight of the Animals was strange. _Sorry, Mikey-boy, you’re the weird one here._

“Jeremy Fitzgerald,” the lighter-haired look-a-like introduced, giving them a small, nervous smile. He seemed to be taking the situation a bit better than Mike.

“Wait,” Bandi cut in before the feathery creatures could start, “What _are_ you two?”

“Uh...” They glanced at each other, as if surprised by the question. Jeremy answered, “We’re humans. From Earth.”

 _Humans._ It was unfamiliar and didn’t translate in his mind. Judging by the others’ expressions, it didn’t translate to them either.

“Moving on,” one of the feathery creatures decided. “I’m Chica.”

“Huh, funny, I’m Chii,” the second feathery creature said, glancing at the first. “We’re from Avia. Chickens.”

 _Avia. Chickens._ These were unfamiliar too. _I wonder how it is all of us came to be on this planet... I mean, I’ve never even heard of Avia and Earth is that little backwater planet in the Trasvyl system, but-_

“Well, what about you, Lapinian, gonna give us your name?” Bonnie questioned with a scowl, raising a brow at him. Bandi blinked owlishly; had he zoned out? _Eesh, those tranquilizers must still be getting to me._

“Sorry,” he said instinctively, frowning to himself. “Bandi Cator, b-”

“Cator? As in _General_ _Commander_ Cator?” The voice was dangerously low and it took Bandi everything he had to not flinch away. “As in, the person who ordered over fifty Lacatran villages to be _destroyed_?”

Bandi crossed his arms, pulling his defenses up immediately. “I was all of _six_ when all of that happened, you can _not_ blame _me_ for what my father did,” he told them. He tried to keep his voice as flat and neutral as possible, reminding himself that the fear he suddenly felt was illogical.

_Then again, Lapinian rules don’t apply here. Those two would have no problem killing me. Huh..._

“I think we damn well can,” Spring snarled, taking a step towards him. Goldie was quick to intervene, stepping between the Rabbits again.

“Hey now,” he warned, eying the golden Rabbit warily. “We have no idea what’s going on here and whether you like it or not, Bandi might be able to offer some help.”

Bandi wanted to speak up, he wanted to ask the bear to _not_ call him Bandi, but... he chose not to. He had no reason to bare himself to these strangers. He had no reason to confess how much he hated the name his father gave him.

Instead, he chose to say, “Look, colonist, I don’t even _like_ the general commander, so I wouldn’t mind one single bit if you don’t relate me to him at all.” It was the simple truth, something he never tried to hide even on his home planet; he didn’t like his father but he gave him the respect he deserved as both his father and as the highest military official on Lapinia. No one, not even his father or mother, was bothered by this fact. As long as he respected and obeyed him, it was okay to dislike him.

Therefore, he didn’t really understand why everyone was giving him strange and/or surprised looks. The Bear siblings exchanged a glance with one another and Bandi raised a brow, frowning slightly. “What? It’s the truth.”

“You don’t like your own father?” the red Fox- Foxy- questioned him incredulously. Bandi looked at him and then around at the others, all of them watching him with those strange, confused expressions. Even the colonists seemed surprised by his words, as though disliking his own father was horrible.

_I don’t... understand._

“Yes...?” he frowned, trying not to let his confusion reflect on his face. “What? Why are you all looking at me like that? So I don’t like my father, big deal, I don’t like my mother or the Chancellor either.”

There was silence for a few moments after his declaration. Bandi didn’t like it.

“Geez, spoiled _and_ ungrateful,” Bonnie snorted, breaking the silence and rolling his eyes. Bandi tensed up and narrowed his eyes at the larger Rabbit.

_Spoiled? Ungrateful? Hell yes I’m ungrateful, why would I be grateful for my parents literally stabbing me in the back?_

They didn’t know about that, though. He had to remind himself that no one, not even the Lapinians’ closest allies, knew about what _really_ happened on Lapinia.

_I think I’ll keep it that way._

“Whatever you say, colonist,” he dismissed carelessly, drawing his neutral expression back into place. Pushing his anger aside in favor of neutrality, he settled into the familiar numbness that accompanied it. _Oh man I want my Chaska._

“We should find or make shelter,” Fredric interrupted before anyone else could speak. “It’s safest to assume night will not be good, so we should make shelter to last tonight and perhaps search the area in the morning.”

 _Make shelter? How?_ Bandi didn’t know the first thing about survival. Undoubtedly they all _knew_ that, but the colonists had absolutely no problem in pointing it out.

“I doubt there’s any _technology_ lying around,” Bonnie groused, glaring over towards Bandi. Bandi didn’t let his neutral expression slip, instead simply looking back at the colonist boredly. “The Lapinian’s just useless here, I doubt it could even climb a tree.”

 _It._ He noted that word, that word that invalidated him as a person. _Oh how fitting that seems sometimes, huh?_

Instead of saying as much, Bandi just tilted his head at the purple-furred Rabbit. “Yes. I _don’t_ know the first thing about survival. But, you know, that’s because I live on a planet where I don’t _need_ to. Not everyone has to live like savages, you know.” He had _no_ idea why he added that; maybe he just wanted to get a rise out of the other Rabbit.

_Or maybe I just have a death wish._

“Just stay out of the way,” Bonnie snarled, turning towards him. “This is already gonna be hard enough without you tripping everyone up-”

“Back off, Bonnie,” Fredric warned. “It’s not his fault he was raised in a different environment than the rest of us.”

“It’s _useless_ and can’t do _anything_ , it-”

“-has had enough,” Bandi cut in flatly. “If you _need_ me, which I highly doubt since I’m too _stupid_ apparently to pick up some sticks, I’m going to go explore around.”

Exploring _did_ sound nice. He _was_ curious about the planet. It was new, it was _different_ , it was unlike anything he’d seen before, and even through the numbness and anger twisting in his stomach he could feel that deeply-ingrained desire to learn. It was a desire that he hadn’t felt in a long time.

“I’ll _try_ not to get my useless tail _lost_ ,” he added with a sneer as he spun around and walked away through the forest, ignoring the Bears’ calls for him to _come back, we don’t know what’s out there_.

“Fucking Lapinian’s gonna get himself killed.”

 _Fucking._ Another word without translation. _Oh well_.

He walked through the forest, glancing around at his surrounding. There really wasn’t anything of note so far, but the anger was swiftly returning to him, overcoming his curiosity. When it became clear none of them actually followed him, Bandi finally allowed his neutral expression to slip away, a scowl sliding into place.

“Useless, huh?” he muttered, stepping over a tree root and knocking a branch out of the way a little more aggressively than necessary. “Who the hell do you think seeded your entire planet? Your ancestors were Lapinian, idiot.” He jumped over a ditch between two trees and swatted at some leaves, which almost immediately sprung back into place and smacked him in the face. He glared at the offending piece of nature as he passed, thoughtlessly rubbing his cheek.

“And what was that about spoiled?” he asked the trees around him, kicking up some of the loose soil and the grass that, logically, should not be growing at all. “Yes, I’m so spoiled for never getting to do what I want and being _tortured_ for _hours_ when I was a child in the name of _science is superior and emotion is illogical!”_

Bandi knew he was being immature. He was being very... _un-Lapinian_. If his parents saw how he was acting, he’d _never_ get his Chaska back. Hell, he’d probably be sent to a _camp_ for letting something as _illogical_ as _anger_ take over his mind.

But… he wasn’t _on_ Lapinia, and his parents and the government and the camps weren’t _there,_ and it felt so _good_ to just let his thoughts flow free, to feel the blood rushing past his ears and not have to try and control the beating of his heart, to just _let it go_. It felt so _good_ to just let go of control, and _no one_ was there to witness it. No one was there to judge him, to lecture him, to _control_ him.

“Stupid jerks. What right do _you_ have to judge _me?_ You know even _less_ about me than my _parents_ do!”

This time, as the blue Rabbit angrily slammed his hand against some vines hanging down from a branch above, something... _peculiar_ happened. His hand got _tangled_ in the vines. Noticing this, he paused and looked at the vines clinging to his hand, raising a brow quizzically at them. _Now a_ tree _is trying to control me?_

“Oh, sorry, did I just touch a carnivorous tree?” he snarked at the vines, roughly tearing his hand away from them.

The pain that shot up through his arm was unlike _anything_ he had ever felt before, and a short, pained screech escaped his throat before he could even register it. Quickly, he brought his bloodied hand up to his chest and took deep, steadying breaths, closing his eyes and concentrating. His anger fled in favor of the old lesson his parents had taught him so long ago.

_It’s only in your mind, Blu. It’s only in your mind. You’re intelligent. You can ignore it._

That mantra running through his brain, he opened his eyes and looked at his hand. It was sliced on the palm and three shallow cuts extended horizontally across all of his fingers, barring his thumb. Blood poured out of the wound on his palm and he found himself, not for the first time, mesmerized by the shining red collecting in his fur. It stood out, stark against the bright blue.

_Red is such a beautiful colour...  
_

Shaking his head, he used his uninjured hand to tear a part of his shirt off and pressed it against the wound, swiftly cleaning the blood away. It hurt horribly but he smiled anyway; _it’s only in my mind, after all_.

Once the wound was cleared of the puddle of blood, he pulled the fabric away to actually _look_ at the injury.

His hand was sliced completely open; he could see the _bone._ In fact, he realized, whatever had cut him had actually _cut_ the bone. His eyes flew up to the vines hanging innocently from their mother tree, but the red clinging to them proved their guilt. Somehow a _plant_ had torn through his skin and cut into his bone with little to no resistance.

Bandi studied them for several silent seconds, tilting his head and narrowing his eyes. _That angle... Just slightly more to the left and I would have lost my hand._

The realization didn’t bring _quite_ the horror it should have. All it brought was the fear of never being able to play his Chaska again... and a thought.

_If this could cut bone... what could it do to wood?_

His eyes scanned the vine, following it up up up, and observed the way it curled harmlessly around its mother tree, and then his eyes traveled along the vine to a separate tree nearby. It was slowly, over time, being sliced in half as the vine grew around it, reaching over from its mother tree like a parasite bent on destroying its competition.

_A defense mechanism. Wow..._

The Rabbit reached forward with his uninjured hand and carefully took a bit of loose vine between his thumb and index finger, holding it up to his face in order to inspect it. He tilted his head slightly as he gradually applied pressure. It didn’t take long for the vine to cut through his fur and skin, but he didn’t even wince as he watched the blood bead and run from the two shallow cuts the vine left.

Green eyes trailed over to the dying tree and then back to the vine again.

His forced smile suddenly morphed into a wide grin, an idea blooming in his mind. All pain forgotten, he dropped the bloodied strip of cloth down onto the grass and moved towards one of the mother tree’s fallen branches.

_I need to test my theory..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is initial animosity between the Rabbits but everything will be cleared up within the first five chapters, no worry. There'll still be tension (you can't get rid of a lifetime of beliefs/biases in just a few days) but Spring and Bonnie won't pose a threat to Bandi/Blu's safety for very long.
> 
> It's important to note what Bonsha and Shafred have said about emotions up there.
> 
> And yes, there IS a reason Blu discovers the vine this early on. Its first immediate effect is in the next chapter, actually, but it has a much larger role later on. So don't think him discovering it right off the bat is random or useless, there's a reason for it.


	3. Hope and Freedom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was actually wanting to update One Stormy Night on Lakeview Road before this, but I was incredibly displeased with how its next chapter came out... so I'm gonna rewrite that. In the meantime, have another Phantom Watchers! Sorry... Heh.

Fredric heaved a soft sigh as he pushed past a particularly young tree, glancing down at the forest floor. The footprints were still clear and he had followed them a fair distance already. There were no scuff marks or signs that the Rabbit had tripped or even stumbled as he walked, so it was safe to assume the Rabbit was at least unharmed.

Up ahead, a sound interrupted the daunting silence of the forest; humming. It was bright and cheerful sounding and not unpleasant in the least, though it sounded somehow _strange_... as if the hummer wasn’t quite sure what they were doing with their voice. He headed in the direction of the sound, noting that the footprints followed this direction. _It's probably Bandi._

Soon he came upon two trees with a dark green vine strung up between them, pulled and tied taught. Fredric frowned at the sight and let his eyes trail to the other side where the blue Rabbit stood with his back to the Bear. He seemed to be preoccupied with something.

Fredric approached the vine, raising a brow. _It doesn’t look like this serves any purpose..._ He reached out to grab it, but before his hand could make contact Bandi’s ears perked and he said, “Don’t touch it.” Blinking, the Bear looked up towards the Rabbit.

“Why?” he questioned, though he pulled his hand away from the vine anyway. The blue Lapinian had sounded serious.

Whatever the Lapinian was holding he set down before turning around to face Fredric. “This is why,” he said much too happily, picking up a thick branch and bounding over to Fredric and the vine. Swiftly, he moved the branch so that the vine was pressing against its center on the side Fredric was on, his hand hands holding the branch by its top and bottom.

Bandi began pulling on the branch and Alfred watched as the vine began cutting _through_ it, and within a few seconds the branch was sawn clean in half; the vine didn’t seem to have suffered at all. Fredric had no idea how that was possible but he didn’t even have to ask. Bandi was more than happy to offer the information, it seemed.

“The vine has these really sharp ridges,” the Rabbit explained, holding the two halves of the branch up for him to see. “The cut’s a little rough because of it, but it cuts _really_ easily, and it’s _really_ strong. Strong enough to cut bone, even.”

 _Strong enough to cut bone?_ That seemed like a really strange thing to say and Fredric frowned- just how did the Lapinian determine that? However, he decided to ignore that for the moment. Instead, he said, “You need to come back to camp, it’s getting late and the temperature is falling.”

Bandi frowned and glanced aside, back towards whatever he had been doing. Fredric allowed his gaze to follow Bandi's and noticed a strip of vine tied between two smaller branches, which were in turn tied together using some other, root-like vine. The branches were carved and somewhat shaped, but it was crude at best.

_Crude, but makes for a functional saw._

“I’m not done yet,” the Rabbit finally said, looking back at him. “I need to do more tests and see how to best...”

Whatever the Rabbit was saying was lost on Fredric as his gaze drifted to Bandi’s hands.

They were _covered_ in red- dried blood, he realized. The red stood out like a sore thumb against his bright blue fur, and as Bandi let the branch pieces fall to the ground- whatever he was about to use his hands for, Fredric didn’t know- he could clearly see his left hand had been sliced completely open and both hands were covered in cuts and gashes of varying severities. They seemed to have stopped bleeding already, but that didn't really matter at the moment; Fredric was wondering how the _hell_ Bandi hadn’t collapsed from either pain or blood loss.

He reached forward and grabbed Bandi’s left wrist, pulling his hand closer to inspect, brow furrowed. The rabbit hadn’t taken good care of it at all; he could see dirt and even a blade of grass in the gash. _If that doesn’t get infected, I’ll be surprised_ , he thought, frowning and looking back at Bandi for explanation.

The Rabbit blinked at him and glanced at his hand. Then he smiled and said, “Oh, that? I found the vines after getting my hand caught in them. I tried to pull away, but the ridges got me. It’ll be fine, though.”

“Fine?” Fredric parroted, glancing at his hands again. “This is _not_ alright, Bandi. Your hands are completely torn up, how are you even _using_ them in this state? You need medical attention _immediately._ ”

“You’re making something out of nothing,” Bandi dismissed, tugging his hand away with a roll of his eyes.

Fredric frowned and watched him closely, noting the way his eyes flicked to the side and he smiled just a bit too widely. His smile was strained and his eyes somewhat unfocused as they looked everywhere except Fredric's eyes.

Had Fredric not been looking so closely at the Rabbit, he would not have even noticed.

 _He’s in severe pain_ , he realized, brows raising. _He’s smiling and he’s in severe pain... I didn’t even realize it at first. How did I not realize it?_

“Come on,” he started lowly, sternly. “I don’t care about your opinions on pain, but your hands need to be taken care of. You’re likely to get an infection this way. Mangle and Chica found a stream earlier, let’s at least try to clean these.”

“Streams have bacteria too,” Bandi pointed out with a strange wave of the hand and a sigh, but he ducked under the vine to follow the Bear anyway.

“Well, it’s better than dirt,” Fredric sighed, turning around and heading back the direction he came. “You shouldn’t have continued handling that vine without proper protection for your hands. We don’t have any medical supplies.”

“I’ll be fine,” was Bandi’s simple, careless answer. _How can he be so nonchalant about this? Doesn’t he realize he could lose the use of his hands?_

He sighed yet again and stopped by the stream, turning around to face his Lapinian companion. “Sit,” he commanded, and after a few moments of silence, the Rabbit did as he was told, dropping down the the ground next to the water. Fredric knelt down and quickly ripped a part of his own shirt off, folding it up and dipping it into the stream. “This will undoubtedly sting,” he warned, taking hold of the Rabbit’s left wrist and beginning to dab carefully at the wounds.

“It doesn’t hurt,” Bandi stated flatly and Fredric glanced up at him. The Rabbit’s expression had gone completely blank and he stared straight ahead. _Clearly it does._

Fredric let out a tired breath and cleaned the blood and dirt away, frowning sharper as the full extent of the damage was revealed. _It’s even worse than I thought._ He re-wet the makeshift rag and began cleaning the Rabbit’s right hand off, relieved to see that the injuries on this hand were not nearly as bad as on the other. The cuts weren't nearly as deep; clearly the worst of the wounds had come from his hand getting caught.

However, he did notice _something_ was wrong with the Rabbit's right hand, watching as the fur matted and stuck together from the mixture of blood and water.

Underneath the fur and clear against the Rabbit’s skin were thin scars, at least a year old if Fredric had to guess. With a sharp frown, he turned the Rabbit’s hand over, dropping the makeshift rag to brush the blue fur back to get a clear look at the skin hidden from sight. Even on the back of his hand there were more thin scars, each looking very purposeful and trailing up his fingers and down his wrist in... _patterned lines_. They were very purposeful, very mechanical, and looked like they had been carefully carved into the Rabbit's arm.

It looked _painful._

He found himself following a single scar all the way to the Rabbit’s elbow, frown deepening as he realized that they were from a rather "primitive" device- primitive for Lapinia, anyway. Fredric didn't know much about Lapinia, but he _did_ know that they had advanced far beyond the common tools of knives... so just why did the blue Lapinian have scars that clearly came from a knife? 

_Where did you get these?  
_

“Um, excuse me?”

Fredric blinked and looked at the Lapinian, who was watching him with a raised brow. “I know I have fabulously lush fur,” Bandi started, and Fredric realized quickly that he was making a joke of the notably awkward motion, “but you shouldn’t play with a stranger’s fur.”

The Bear was silent for a few moments, studying his blue companion. He thought about asking about the scars... but he didn’t. They were none of his business, he knew, and they didn’t seem to affect the functionality of the rabbit’s hand. They were just _there_.

Instead, he heaved a sigh and released the Rabbit’s scarred wrist, ripping off two more strips of his shirt. “Hold your hands out,” he commanded and when Bandi did so, he began tightly wrapping the strips of shirt around them and tied them off as makeshift bandages. It wouldn't make for a good long-term solution, but temporarily it would help... He sighed again and looked at the shifting, unfocused green eyes of the pained rabbit. “Really, Bandi, why would you let this happen?”

Bandi glanced back towards him and then towards his hands. It was silent for several seconds before he finally said, “Please don’t call me Bandi.”

 _...What?_ Fredric blinked owlishly and released the other’s hands, letting the Rabbit draw them against his chest in a protective manner. That had been unexpected. “Why not?”

The Rabbit’s lips tipped downwards. It wasn’t a scowl or even a frown of annoyance, but it wasn’t a neutral expression either. Fredric watched as the Rabbit's ears suddenly dropped down and he glanced aside, his brows drawn together. He was the picture of uncertainty- nothing at all like Fredric had been taught to expect from the advanced, strong-willed Lapinians.

It looked vulnerable, actually. Very vulnerable.

“Bandi...” the Rabbit started, glancing up at the Bear again. “Bandi... is the name my parents gave me, but it’s... not... _me._ ” He hesitated, his gaze going down to his bandaged hands. They had begun to bleed again, staining the makeshift bandage red. “Bandi Cator is just... a... a science student who... happens to be the... son of the highest military officer on the planet. Bandi Cator is just some... genius with no life to call his own... who could tell you every mathematical and scientific formula that exists...” He glanced back up at Fredric, his eyes unsure. Fredric watched him quietly, allowing the Rabbit to say his piece; he was willing to hear him out. “I’m not... _really_ Bandi Cator. Bandi is just some... mask I have to wear. For my own safety. To please my parents. But... I’m... I don’t _feel_ like Bandi Cator.”

Fredric tilted his head slightly at the Rabbit, his own expression gentle and non-judgmental. _I understand..._ “Then who are you?” he asked, voice soft, inviting. It seemed to work as the Rabbit in front of him relaxed somewhat.

“I... don’t know,” the Rabbit admitted, eyes trailing back towards the ground as he began rubbing his right wrist absently, not even noticing the blood seeping through the bandage and clinging to his fur. “I was... never really given a... chance to find out.” He hesitated for a moment again, his bandaged hands fidgeting nervously. Clearly he had never spoken about this before- he probably had no idea  _how_ to speak about it. “But... um... when I... play... my Chaska... I kind of... think of myself as... just... Blu. Not... Bandi or Bandi Cator... just... just _Blu_.”

 _Blu._ It sounded like a colour- the colour of the Rabbit’s fur, he noted- but at the same time he didn’t think that was how the Rabbit meant it. After all, before that day, the word “blue” meant nothing to either of them.

He tilted his head slightly, watching the Rabbit curiously. “What does... Blu... mean in your language?” he asked, keeping his voice as gentle as possible so as not to startle or intimidate the Rabbit back into his guise of indifference.

The Rabbit- Bandi? Blu?- looked back at him. He seemed to be debating on whether or not to answer. Fredric waited patiently, keeping eye contact with the blue-furred Animal. The silence settling around them was deafening, only the sound of the stream next to them breaking through.

Finally, when Fredric was convinced that the Rabbit was about to shut him out, he answered softly, “Hope.”

 _Hope._ Such a simple word, yet it said so much about the Rabbit in front of him. It said a lot more than he was sure the Rabbit wanted to show, more than he _meant_ to show- more than he even knew it showed.

_Bandi Cator is hopeless._

That was what it meant. The Rabbit in front of him was suffering on so much more than a physical level but he didn’t want to say it- probably didn't even _know_ it. It still manifested itself, though; his subconsciously-chosen name was everything he himself wanted to, but could not, be.

Fredric let out a soft sigh and gave him a gentle, understanding smile. “Well, then, how about I just call you Blu then?” he suggested. “It’s a nicer name than Bandi anyway.”

The smile that the Rabbit- Blu- gave him was a genuine smile, the first real one Fredric had seen thus far. It was bright and warm and grateful, and the uncertainty and worry shadowing his face slipped away. The Bear had thought it was bright out before but the sunlight couldn't even compare to Blu's smile. “Thanks, Fredric.”

The Bear chuckled as he stood up. “Well, I actually don’t go by Fredric,” he admitted to the Rabbit, helping the Rabbit to stand up as well.

Blu blinked at him and tilted his head slightly, a curious light in his eyes. “You don’t?”

“Nope,” he confirmed, heading back towards the camp. The air was still heavy, but the temperature was significantly cooler than before. Sleeping directly on the ground was completely out of the question. “I actually go by Red.”

Blu raised a brow and gave him a small, sincere grin. “Aw, is that a play off of the colour red?” he teased, despite both of them knowing it wasn’t. Fredric chuckled.

“Not at all,” he answered honestly, despite it being a joke. “Not any more than your name being a play off of the colour blue.”

“So what’s that mean in _your_ language?” Blu asked, his tone a little more serious and genuinely curious. “‘Blu’ means ‘hope’ in mine… so what’s ‘red’ mean in yours?”

“It doesn’t exactly have a translation,” he admitted, trying to think of a way to explain it. He glanced up at the canopy above as he led the smaller Animal. “It’s more of an... idea. It’s like... freedom, but it’s not the _word_ freedom?”

“Like... a feeling?” Blu guessed, tilting his head slightly as if trying to understand.

“Yes,” the Bear, Red, confirmed with a nod.  _Feeling is a good word for it._ “It’s the feeling of freedom, or the feeling of not being controlled or confined. Something along those lines.”

“I’ve never felt that,” Blu mumbled to himself, but Red still caught it. He didn’t get a chance to ask, though, as the Rabbit quickly continued speaking, as if sensing the Bear's oncoming question. “So, Red and Blu, huh? Wonder if we can make a rainbow,” Blu added jokingly, earning a snort from Red.

He'd let it go for now. After all, it probably wasn't something Blu would want to share with a near stranger.

“Wouldn’t that be interesting,” he agreed instead. It was rather interesting- He hadn’t expected the Lapinian to have a sense of humour, if he was honest with himself. _He seems a lot more chatty than I first thought. Really friendly, even._

However, Blu fell silent as they approached their makeshift campsite. Red glanced over at him and frowned as he noticed Blu’s amused smile and pain-dazed eyes were replaced with a perfectly neutral expression. He wore neither a smile nor a frown and his green eyes, after seeing them shining so brightly the past few minutes, looked so dull and dead as they entered the others’ presence. It was the expression the Rabbit had been wearing when he first saw him, he realized. It was his disguise.

 _Back to being Bandi already, huh?_ He didn’t voice it though, just allowed the Rabbit to pick a spot (he noticed it was as far away from the Lacatran Rabbits as he could get and still be within the “safe zone” of their camp and shelter). He started to follow, deciding he didn't fancy leaving the little blue Rabbit alone now that he knew... _something_ was up.

“Fredric,” he heard a soft voice call, and pausing, he turned to look at the other two Bears, both of whom were wearing frowns as they watched him. Red approached them and sat down in the spot Freddy gestured to; a little distance between him and the brothers but close enough for a friendly, but private, conversation.

“Yes?” he asked simply, deciding he didn't really _need_ to say more.

“That took a while,” Goldie was the one to say, frowning slightly as he watched the Rabbit settle down, off on his own.

Red considered just dismissing it, but the way Freddy was fidgeting told him that the Bears were legitimately concerned about the Lapinian. Obviously they had noticed something wasn’t right as well, and they had probably already noticed the "bandages" on his hands. In fact, Red would be surprised if they _hadn’t_ noticed them. Both of the older Bears were very observant, he had already figured that out.

“He injured himself,” he told them quietly, not wanting the Lacatran Rabbits to overhear. Who knew what  _they_ would say about it. “Somewhat on accident.”

“Somewhat?” Freddy raised a brow at that. Clearly he was concerned about the use of the word _somewhat._

“He got caught up in an idea,” Red explained vaguely before expanding with, “He found a vine by accident that sliced his hand, and he seems to have started making a tool out of it. He was… really caught up that he didn’t take care to protect his hands from it.”

This didn’t seem to comfort either of the brothers as they exchanged a wary glance. “Does he have no regard for his own safety?”

Those scars flashed through Red’s mind, but he pushed the images aside. He hadn’t even asked Blu about those, there was no way to know if they were self-inflicted or not. In fact, he actually doubted they were; the hand that carved them was too steady, too neat, to have been in pain. “It doesn’t seem like it. He didn’t seem to have any plans to take care of his injuries, kept insisting he was alright when clearly he wasn’t. He was smiling, actually.”

A frown tugged at the darker Bear’s lips. “Ah… typical Lapinian philosophy,” he murmured.

“Pain isn’t real, it’s only in the mind,” Goldie sighed, shaking his head. “Out here that philosophy will get him killed.”

“The Lacatrans would be more than happy to oblige,” Red muttered, ignoring the displeased look Freddy gave him.  _It's only the truth._ “I’ll keep an eye on him,” he decided, turning his gaze towards the Rabbit in question. “He seems strangely at ease around me. Perhaps it’s because I attended to his wounds and was willing to hear him out.”

“Whatever it is, he took to you quickly,” Goldie noted with a slight lift of his shoulders. Red wasn’t familiar with this gesture so he assumed it was something that had recently developed on the Ursian home planet. “I guess that’s a good thing, though, huh?”

“Perhaps,” Freddy agreed with a slight nod of his own. “The two of you are about the same age, even… so maybe that helps. It strengthens a feeling of camaraderie.”

 _I’m not so sure about that_ , Red thought to himself as he nodded politely to the Ursians and stood up to go take a seat next to Blu. _I don’t think he knows what normal teenagers are supposed to act like. Certainly not like either of us._

He kept his thoughts to himself as he sat down next to the Lapinian. “Hey, Blu,” he greeted casually, feeling slightly victorious when the Rabbit awarded him a small, but genuine, smile.

“Hey, Red,” he replied quietly, but they didn’t speak again. Instead, they sat in silence and listened to the soft chatter around them as the others all got to know one another. The air was tense and everyone was wary at best, but friendly enough to get along. Red didn't fail to notice most of them were staying close to their own kind, though Chii and Chica seemed to get along very well with Mangle. It seemed like he and Blu were the odd ones out. Somehow he wasn't surprised.

Red pretended he didn’t notice the way the Lacatrans looked at the two of them- at _him_. It was _their_ problem, not his after all. They could continue pretending that they weren't just like Blu, but Red... well, Red recognized that down inside they were all the same. They all bled crimson.

As darkness fell around them, the only source of light and warmth was the fire and the makeshift grassy “carpet” beneath them. Staring into the orange flames, he was suddenly reminded of a night long ago, when he was barely eight... It had been night, and nights on Ardraw were... _deadly,_ to say the least, and the fire was the only protection they had from the night. It was... eerily similar, he realized.

The chill in the air at that moment, hardly minutes after the sun had set, reminded him of Ardraw. He didn’t want to know what _this_ planet was like during its colder season, if it had one. If it was anything like Ardraw, they would never survive.

He closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh, ears lowering slightly at the somber thought.

_Hope, huh? Well, Blu, I hope you have enough to share..._


	4. Seeking Answers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so uh, I haven’t been working on anything this week because there is currently a seven year old nephew in the house… and… the XBox, Wii, Supernintendo and N64 are all in my room. Yeah. And he’s seven. He keeps dragging me to play. This is why you get another Phantom Watchers- because I’m not even halfway done with the next chapters of Beneath Their Masks and I’m not done with the next chapter of Lakeview Road, and I've had this written for like a week already.
> 
> These chapters were originally going to introduce a secondary conflict, but I felt like it was too soon. I looked back at my outline and realized the part I was writing was more fit for later, after a certain different event happens and there’s less hostility between the Rabbits.
> 
> WARNING: There is a moment of self-harm in this chapter- completely intentional “I need to feel alive” self-harm, not the “how dangerous is this thing I need to find out” kind from the previous chapters.

“Blu, don’t just pick up soil like that, who knows what’s in it.”

Blinking, the blue Rabbit looked up from the soil and glanced over towards his companion. “Relax, Red, I’m not even holding it with my hands,” Blu informed him, turning to look at his... friend? He wasn’t sure if that was what the Bear was to him, but since waking up that morning they had stuck together, choosing to do their part of the exploring with each other. Part of him was convinced it was just because Red was concerned about him.

“The cloth serving as your bandage does not count,” Red deadpanned, quirking a brow at him. “Why are you looking at the soil anyway?”

Blu’s ear twitched in the direction of a snapping twig and a muttering voice, but he ignored the twin Bears who had chosen to follow them. He wasn’t surprised one bit that Freddy and Goldie didn’t trust him and Red out on their own. Instead, he focused on Red and gave him his best grin, holding the soil up.

“Look at it,” he commanded. The Bear eyed him warily before looking at the dark pile of soil in Blu’s hands. It was soft and sifted around with the slightest movement, so Blu strived to keep his hands perfectly still as the Bear observed the sample.

“It… looks strange?” Red questioned, looking back at Blu. The Rabbit let out a small laugh because it was true; the soil was nearly black and lacked any decay from leaves or grass.

“Well yeah, I can’t deny that,” he agreed, stepping closer to his companion, “but actually _look_ at it.”

He watched as the younger Bear looked at the soil again. Several seconds passed by before he noticed it, his blue eyes widening slightly as he realized what Blu wanted him to see. Blu grinned. “There’s… something _alive_ in it,” he noted, surprise lacing his voice as he looked up at the Rabbit again. It was the first sign of non-flora life they had seen thus far; small, dark, and digging carefully through the soil in Blu’s hands, most likely seeking out its scant breakfast.

“Yes,” Blu confirmed, nodding. “It’s a detritivore. The branches that fall, I guess it feeds off of the rot. But they aren’t _everywhere..._ it’s kind of strange, isn’t it?” As he spoke, he knelt down to set the soil, along with its resident lifeform, back down on the ground. “And if there are detritivores here, then I wonder what else is...”

“What else?” Red repeated, prompting Blu to look up at him.

“Yes,” Blu nodded, standing up again and patting his hands off on his pants. The soil had left clear marks on the knees and shins, but to be honest he couldn’t be bothered to care; he thought it was kind of cool. It was a new experience. “There’s foliage, grass, and even a meat-source, no matter how small it might be, so logically speaking there should be _some_ sort of system here.”

“Oh,” Red sighed, nodding in understanding. “You’re right, there’s enough nutrients here to support an entire web... You’d think there’d at least be small carnivores and grazers feeding off of the, uh... detritivores and grass.”

“Exactly. But...” Blu frowned in thought, glancing up towards the canopy, “we don’t actually know if there’s no other fauna. For all we know...”

He trailed off, the incomplete thought hanging between the two of them as they both looked above.

“We should probably be more careful then,” Red sighed, looking down towards the soil again. “And it definitely means we need to set up some sort of _safe_ shelter. With walls and a roof, if possible.”

“So far there’s no signs of larger fauna, but better safe than sorry yes,” Blu agreed, turning to look at the approaching twins.

“What’s better safe than sorry?” Goldie asked, raising a brow. Clearly neither of the elder Bears had been listening to their conversation.

“Blu discovered detritivores,” Red answered before Blu could even open his mouth. “We were saying it’s better safe than sorry to prepare in case larger fauna are around somewhere.”

The edges of Freddy’s lips turned down as he hummed in thought. “Well, I suppose that means it’s best to not go running off on our own.”

Red nodded in agreement and Blu sighed, averting his gaze as the younger Bear’s blue eyes landed on him. “Right, Blu?”

“Yes, I get it, no running off on my own again.”

The Rabbit felt like a chastised child, but at least none of the Bears were yelling at him or threatening him with camps. Or sliding a knife across his shoulderblades. Or-

He cut himself off. _Just don’t think about it, Blu. You’re far away from Lapinia now. From them. Wait... Wasn’t there something important...? Oh..._

“Oh no,” he moaned, slipping his hands over his eyes. _I completely forgot, that’s why mother took my Chaska away- I was supposed to be studying before I woke up here!_

“What?”

“I had an exam today...”

The three Bears were completely silent and Blu knew they were staring at him without even dropping his hands. He could practically _feel_ their eyes on him.

“Wait- we’re trapped on a planet none of us know... and you’re concerned about missing an exam?” the golden Bear asked incredulously. Blu could have sworn he heard a hint of a laugh in his voice. It wasn’t very funny to the Rabbit.

“It’s not the _exam_ that’s got me worried,” he muttered, dropping his hands away from his face and looking at the Bears. “I still live with my parents, they’re gonna notice I didn’t go to school. When we get out of here and I get home I’m gonna be in _so_ much trouble...” because on Lapinia, there was no such thing as a retest. He would get a fail on the exam and his parents would _never_ forgive him.

 _And the Matching’s next month- oh no, my parents will_ kill _me if I miss that...!_

“I... hadn’t even thought about my parents,” Red admitted, his voice laced with a strange emotion that Blu couldn’t identify. “They’ll panic when they realize I’m gone. Ardraw isn’t... safe.”

That was putting it lightly; MB27X was well known to be one of the deadliest inhabited planets, but its resources were valuable and the colonists had been living there for generations. They belonged to the planet and vice versa; there was no chance that the colonists would leave the planet which had become their home, freezing nights and sweltering days included.

Blu knew as long as Ardraw was “primitive,” as his parents put it, they would only ever be a colony; they relied too heavily on Ursius for their survival. Unlike Alpha C 301, though, the Ardraw colonists seemed content with the arrangement. _Maybe because they aren’t living completely separated from and subjugated by the Ursians._

“Dad’s gonna be pissed that we disappeared,” Goldie muttered, more to Freddy than the younger teens. “And mom will worry...”

“We’ll explain to them what happened,” Freddy assured his brother, frowning as he thought about it. “Now that I really think about it, we’ll be missing our last year of education if we’re here for too long.”

“I guess we’ll just need to figure out what’s going on and find out how to get home,” Red sighed, glancing over at Blu. “However, none of us even know where we are.”

“Well,” Blu started thoughtfully, glancing towards the canopy, “maybe we can figure it out if we look at the stars. Maybe we’ll recognize something... my dad had me study three different astronomies, so... I might be able to recognize something.”

“Three different astronomies?” he heard the golden bear whisper questioningly to his darker-furred brother, but Blu couldn’t be bothered to explain. The Ursians had yet to discover the other layers of the universe, after all, and the Lapinians had yet to share the information with them.

“It’d be worth a shot,” Red started, “if nights weren’t so cold and you could actually climb a tree.”

“I can climb,” Blu immediately protested, frowning and crossing his arms. “Come on, I climb all the time- I have to be able to reach weird locations, you know.”

“I was actually talking about your hands,” Red informed him flatly, gesturing towards them as he spoke. “Climbing will only aggravate the wounds.”

“Oh. Right.” The Rabbit let his hands fall back to his side. “Sorry, I shouldn’t assume things.”

“You seem quick to assume an insult,” Freddy started. Something in his voice got Blu’s attention... he felt almost like he was about to be interrogated. He tensed up slightly and frowned, glancing towards the older Bear. Freddy was watching him, an unfamiliar glint in his eyes. “Why is that?”

_Because my parents find fault in everything I do?_

“Oh, no reason,” Blu answered dismissively, glancing up towards the canopy. He needed to change the subject. “We should go back now, shouldn’t we? See what the others were able to fi-”

“-Spring is _younger_ than me actually, don’t let what just happened fool you.”

“He always points that out. I think he’s insecure about it.”

Blu closed his eyes and let out a breath as the Lacatran Rabbits and the two Humans walked into the area he and the Bears stood in. “Wonderful,” he muttered bitterly, more to himself than the Bears.

He didn’t like the colonists- not because they were colonists, of course. He couldn’t care less about that part, if he was honest; as far as he was concerned, Lapinia should just let that colony go. The Rabbits of Alpha C 301 had gone in a completely different direction than Lapinia and had been self-sufficient for hundreds of years already, and even though their ancestors were from Blu’s planet, Blu knew the Lacatrans would never be Lapinians. There was just too much bloody history between the planets.

No, Blu didn’t like the Lacatran Rabbits because they _scared_ him, and he had never feared anything but authority. He _hated_ that those two Rabbits elicited the same reaction from him that his parents and government and teachers did- that they were to be _feared_.

If something was to be feared then it was to be obeyed... and like _hell_ would Blu obey a pair of Rabbit brothers from an entirely different _galaxy,_ even if they could snap him like a twig without even trying. He’d _die_ before he let either of them have authority over him. That meant showing no fear.

As if he would in the first place.

“Oh great,” one of the voices groused. He wasn’t sure _which_ brother it was but he didn’t care to find out. Before the voice could continue, though, Freddy spoke up.

“Bonnie, Spring, Mike, Jeremy,” Freddy greeted politely, his voice lighter. Blu was somewhat happy to realize that the Bear wouldn’t keep questioning him. “We were just about to head back to camp, meet up with the Foxes and Chickens and get to work.”

“What did you guys find?” Mike asked curiously, carrying a makeshift bucket in his hands. He had something hanging out of his right ear, but Blu couldn’t identify what it was.

“Some sturdy wood,” Goldie answered with a lift of his shoulders. “We have no idea how long we’ll be here, so it’ll be best to make some sort of proper shelter.”

“We also have no idea about the weather,” Red put in with a thoughtful frown. “The air is heavy and humid but the nights are cold.”

“Kind of like Ardraw,” Freddy noted, raising a brow at Red. “Isn’t it?”

“Thankfully not that bad,” Red snorted. “We also found, um... what were they called, Blu?” he asked, looking at the Rabbit in question. “Detri...?”

“Detritivores,” Blu answered. “I don’t know what else they’d be called.”

The Lacatran Rabbits exchanged confused looks but the Humans seemed to understand. “So there _is_ fauna here?” the lighter-haired Jeremy questioned.

“Some type, yeah,” Blu confirmed, crossing his arms. He could feel the Bears looking at him; apparently his shift in attitude was noticed. “But it’s just small lifeforms, nothing big that we know of.”

“Your point?” Bonnie asked, his voice giving off his annoyance. Clearly he thought whatever the blue Rabbit was saying was pointless.

Blu resisted the urge to roll his eyes, instead leveling the taller Rabbit with his best unimpressed look. “My _point_ is that we don’t know what’s on this planet.”

“We’ve been here an entire day already-”

“No, we’ve been here an entire night and _part_ of a day,” Blu corrected hotly before schooling himself again. _Don’t let your agitation show._ Calmly, he continued, “We haven’t had time to actually observe-”

“This isn’t some scientific experiment to _observe_ , Lapinian,” Bonnie snarled, glaring at Blu as he shifted the weight of the “bucket” in his arms. “This-”

“If we don’t understand our surroundings then-”

“You don’t have to understand _anything_ to know something’s true-”

“We don’t _know_ if it’s true,” Blu pointed out with a small growl, unable to hide his annoyance with the older Rabbit. “ _Anything_ could be on this planet and we’re-”

“What?” Bonnie snorted. Blu was getting really aggravated at being interrupted; he could feel the scowl forming on his own face, breaking his neutrality. “The little Lapinian afraid the lionwolves are gonna get him?” It was mocking and it was only making the air around them tense, but Blu refused to back down.

 _You cannot have power over me,_ he thought angrily as he said, “Lionwolves don’t live in this environment so _obviously_ not, I’m just-”

“Shut _up,_ both of you,” Red interrupted, his voice a little louder than he usually spoke which prompted Blu to actually stop speaking and look at his companion. The Bear was scowling at them, blue eyes narrowed. He was clearly agitated by the Rabbits' little fight. “You’re arguing about _nothing_ and it’s extremely counterproductive and _very_ annoying, too.”

Without missing a beat, Bonnie stated flatly, “It’d be easier to _not_ argue if the Lapinian wasn’t _constantly_ looking for a ‘logical’ side of things like a fucking _robot_. Just accept things as they are and _stop questioning everything!_ ”

_“You must question everything. Take nothing at face value...”_

His mother’s words from so long ago flashed through his mind and he stared blankly at the Lacatran, trying desperately to figure his words out. They were the exact opposite of how he was raised. _Don’t question everything? Accept things as they are? How do you even_ do _that? If you don’t understand, you put yourself in danger..._

“Stop it, Bonnie,” Freddy commanded, clearly displeased with the other Rabbit, but Blu had ceased to care at that point.

_“Like a robot.” Isn’t that so fitting... I did score perfect on the Endurance test... didn’t react at all..._

His right hand suddenly curled into a fist, sending pain up and down his arm. He didn’t really feel it, though; he felt numb. _Why?_ He could see the purple and gold Rabbits arguing with the twin Bears and Red, but he couldn’t hear what they were saying anymore.

_“Like a robot.” Didn’t I say the exact same thing last year? How does a Lacatran even know about robots, anyway? What right does he have to... to just say..._

“Bandi?” The voice was soft, gentle, and it startled Blu out of his thoughts. He turned his emerald eyes to the shorter Humans. He hadn’t even noticed until that moment that they were shorter than him... it was by less than a foot, sure, but he was still-

“Are you alright?” Jeremy asked, concern lacing his voice as he pulled the Rabbit out of his thoughts. Blu blinked as the argument suddenly filled his ears.

“Dammit, Rabbit, you don’t need to-”

“Just stay out of it, Ursian, you don’t even know-”

“Stop blaming him for things he had nothing to do with-”

“No, I’m not,” he answered simply, quietly, tearing his gaze away from the concerned Humans. “I need to be alone.”

“Wait, Bandi-” Mike started, but Blu turned and walked away, ignoring the Human’s call. As he got further away, the argument faded and so did the Humans’ concerned voices. The Rabbit didn’t wonder why they didn’t follow; the Humans didn’t seem very adept at the whole “survival” thing either.

Blu wasn’t the best with directions, but he knew where he was in relation to the camp- he had no fear of getting lost.

And if he did, then so what? He’d spend a night on his own and either be found the next day or die. At that point, he couldn’t care which it was.

_You’re a Lapinian. Lapinians don’t let stupid comments get to them. But... I just don’t get it. He called me a robot... just for trying to understand what’s going on. What’s so wrong about that? Or is he just annoyed because I’m Lapinian...?_

He moved swiftly, silently. It was different from the day before, where he ranted aloud and hit the surrounding branches. He stewed silently in his thoughts as he walked, stepping carefully over branches and roots. The forest was completely silent around him.

If there were any animals, Blu couldn’t hear them. If there was anything alive, he couldn’t feel them. The forest felt empty- it felt dead. He felt alone... but that was a familiar feeling for him.

He slowed down to a stop as he came across a familiar location. Strung up between two trees was the cutting vine, and on the other side he could see his incomplete saw just sitting there, waiting to be finished. With a soft sigh, Blu lifted his bandaged hands to look at them.

 _That vine will tear my hands up,_ he noted miserably. “I can’t finish it right now,” he told himself aloud, staring at his hands. The “bandages” were dirtied from holding the soil, but he could still see the red staining them.

The wounds underneath still stung. It was sharp and jarring, he remembered, when the vine had sliced through his hands. It had been a pain that he couldn’t ignore.

 _Pain._ It had been such a large part of his life for so long... but _that_ pain had been agonizing. It had been unlike anything he had ever felt- like fire right in the palm of his hand. At the time it had been bothersome. Well... more than just _bothersome_.

Still, though... still, he had been able to smile through it. He had been able to take it and tolerate it, despite how it sent agony screaming up his arms and caused so much _blood_ to spill. He had still fooled Red, right up until he saw the wounds himself. He had still managed to play it off. To normalize it.

_I wonder... how much it would take before I feel alive again?_

It was a sudden, almost confusing thought. Pain- or, rather, ignoring pain- was such a normal part of his life, but he had never been the cause of the pain... not on purpose, anyway. He had never even considered it before; what was the point if it wasn’t real? Easy; there wasn’t. If it wasn’t real, then why even try? He could ignore it all.

But how much pain was _too much_ to ignore? How much would it take before he reacted like a _normal_ person- not a Lapinian, but... anyone sane and _not_ desensitized?

He wanted to know.

 _It’s like an experiment... how much pain can the Lapinian take..._ Slowly, he unwrapped the makeshift bandages from around his hands and let them fall to the ground. The wounds on his hands didn’t look very good and his fur was stiff with dried blood. _I need to clean them, anyway._

He raised his gaze to the vine strung up between the trees. If he looked carefully, he could see red from where he had accidentally nicked himself the day before. _It cuts so easily... I have to be careful..._

If Red was there, he knew he’d be getting a lecture at that moment for even _acting_ this way. No one was there, though; no one to see him, to judge him, to lecture him... to hate him for being so... so... he didn’t even know. _So Lapinian? So non-Lapinian? It’s all about perspective in the end._

The blue Rabbit stepped closer to the vine and he reached out with his right, less-injured hand, positioning the vine right under the base of his fingers. After a few seconds of pondering it, though, he shifted so that instead of his hand, it was under his forearm. There was only so much he could risk with his hand, after all.

He still wanted to be able to play his Chaska.

Slowly, he began applying pressure, not even wincing as the vine once again cut through his fur and then his flesh. He paused, watching the blood drip down; it was stinging, but it wasn’t the same burning agony he had felt before. He pressed down harder, biting his tongue as it so easily cut through his skin, but _it still isn’t unbearable._

It wasn’t enough. Steeling his resolve, he started to apply even _more_ pressure, determined to feel that burning, unbearable pain that had made him feel less robotic, more living, more... more...

Then a purple-furred hand clamped firmly around his wrist.

“What the _fuck_ are you doing?!”


	5. Troubling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting to one of the scenes I've been excited about~ It's not the big climax scene, obviously being the fourth/fifth chapter, but it's a pivotal moment for Bonnie and Blu.

“Bonnie, I swear, if you do not go _right now,_ I’ll throw you out of a tree myself,” Freddy had growled to him moments after Mike had, uneasily, informed them that the Lapinian had just _walked off-_ despite the fact that _separating_ had already been established as being a bad idea. Bonnie snarled as the brown Bear’s hand landed on the smallest Bear’s shoulder, preventing him from following the other Rabbit. _“Go.”_

“Why?” he demanded hotly, shoving his bucket towards his fellow Lacatran. Spring promptly dropped the branches he was holding in order to catch the bucket, as Bonnie didn’t bother waiting to see if his brother actually had a hold of it before letting go. “He’s just a useless _Lapinian_.”

“Because you’re being an asshole,” Freddy growled, his stare unwavering. “You can’t blame a _kid_ for something his _father_ did.”

“He’s a Lapinian, he’s not a _kid_ ,” Bonnie snorted, crossing his arms. “Everyone knows-”

“I don’t _care_ about Lapinian standards, Rabbit,” Freddy cut him off as calmly as he could. “I don’t know what goes on on that planet and neither do you, but it’s no secret they have toxic ideologies.” Freddy leaned closer to Bonnie, as if to tell him something no one else was supposed to hear, and added, “And frankly speaking, I already don’t trust that kid out on his own. We’re in a place that _none_ of us know, _he’s_ not adapted to, where _anything_ could be lurking around the corner, _our_ rules don’t apply, and he’s just a _teenager_. If anything happens to him because _you’re_ being an asshole, then _you’re_ to blame.” The bear’s voice dropped into a growl. “And I don’t take kindly to murder.”

What could he possibly say to that? The Bear was threatening him... and Bonnie had a feeling that Freddy would not hesitate to deliver on the threat.

The Rabbit scowled. “Fine,” he spat, backing away from the Bear. He himself was a colonist and the Bear was an Ursian, but Ursius for all of its scientific advancement was still a force to be reckoned with head-on. It would be best to _not_ risk the Bear’s anger- that might be a fight Bonnie can’t win.

“Good,” Freddy spoke pleasantly, straightening up. “Now _go._ ”

Bonnie made his displeasure clear as he glared at Freddy, then he turned and angrily walked in the direction Mike had gestured in.

“Let him go alone, Spring.”

_Great, and now they’re separating me from my brother. Wonderful._

He growled and angrily kicked at the ground, wincing slightly as his bare foot smacked against a tree root. “Damn Bear,” he muttered, red eyes on the ground in front of him.

Evidently the Lapinian hadn’t been concerned whatsoever with covering his tracks; his footprints were clear in the strange soil, even through the layer of grass. It didn’t take any tracking skills whatsoever to follow.

“Damn Lapinian,” he added bitterly, glaring up ahead. “Spoiled, ungrateful little-”

He stumbled over a root and hissed to himself. _Pay attention, Bonnie._ He took a deep, calming breath in through his nose and let it out, shoving his anger aside. _It’ll do no good to trip and break your neck._ His ear twitched as he heard something from up ahead. It sounded like a voice, though he couldn’t make out the words from that distance. _The Lapinian. I’ll drag his ass back to camp and let the Bears dress him down or whatever._

With that in mind, Bonnie continued walking ahead, following the footsteps. It didn’t take long to find his quarry; the blue Rabbit came into view and Bonnie paused, raising a brow at the scene before him.

_He’s just standing there, doing nothing._

The smaller blue Rabbit was just staring at his bandaged hands. Bonnie wasn’t sure exactly _why_ the Rabbit’s hands were bandaged but he couldn’t be bothered to care. He opened his mouth, about to bark out a command to the Lapinian, but his voice died as the Rabbit jerked into action and unwrapped the bandages.

Even from that distance, the dried blood was clear and stark against the Rabbit’s bright blue fur.

As the makeshift bandages fell to the ground, the Lapinian stepped closer to the vine strung up between two trees. Bonnie furrowed his brow, scowling in confusion. He was hesitant to call out.

_What is the idiot doing now?_

He watched the Lapinian reach his hand out to the vine. It was odd; he didn’t look like he was about to grab it, his fingers straight and splayed as he laid his hand on the vine. Silently, Bonnie started circling around the Rabbit, his eyes trained on the other’s hand. A strange feeling twisted in his stomach.

_What are you doing..._

He watched the Lapinian slide his hand over the vine, his hand curling into a fist as he rested his forearm on it. Bonnie couldn’t even begin to comprehend what the Rabbit was trying to do. _Is he trying to break it?_ Then the Lapinian pressed down on the vine. It didn’t budge and Bonnie’s frown deepened. _For someone always looking for logic and answers he sure doesn’t make any damn sense._

Cator’s eyes seemed to be trained on his arm. Whatever he was seeing didn’t seem to please him as he frowned and added more pressure, his brow creasing in what Bonnie could only describe as frustration. The vine did move somewhat with the added pressure, but it didn’t bend far and it definitely didn’t seem to be on the verge of-

That was when he saw the blood.

For a moment he was absolutely floored. This was _Bandi Cator,_ son of one of the most powerful and privileged Lapinians on the Lapinian home planet. There was no doubt that everything he wanted, he got. What in the _world_ was he _hurting himself_ for?

_Hurting himself._ Those words felt heavy, but there was no other way to describe what he was seeing. The Lapinian was _hurting himself_ and he seemed _frustrated_ about something- but still he didn’t pull his arm away. In fact, he was adding more pressure, causing the vine to only cut deeper.

_Is he trying to disable himself or something?!_

Before Bonnie even knew what he was doing, he had bounded over to the Lapinian and grabbed the Rabbit’s wrist, preventing him from adding any more pressure.

“What the _fuck_ are you doing?!” he demanded, watching the smaller Rabbit jerk to attention, wide green eyes snapping up to Bonnie’s red. He seemed legitimately shocked, as though he hadn’t expected anyone to follow and catch him, and it was the first time Bonnie had seen any emotion other than anger or irritation from the Rabbit.

“Wha- let go of me!” the Lapinian’s demand was somewhat ruined by the squeak in his voice and the wave of panic in his eyes. However, the Rabbit took in a sudden sharp breath and Bonnie could practically _see_ the walls fly up, pulling all emotion out of those eyes.

Bonnie didn’t like this. Suddenly, he could see what the Bears had seen- someone who was a danger to themselves.

“No,” he growled, pulling the Lapinian’s arm away from the vine. He barely glanced at the deep cut the blue Animal had inflicted upon _himself_. “What the hell is this about, Lapinian?!”

“It’s nothing. I was just testing something,” the blue Rabbit answered shortly, trying to yank his arm away from Bonnie’s grip. It was almost pathetic; Bonnie didn’t even need to tighten his grip to keep his hold on the Rabbit’s wrist. “Let go of me.”

“What were you testing?” he questioned, eyes narrowing. _I don’t believe you._

“I-I was just seeing how much pressure it took before the vine would cut,” the Rabbit explained calmly, but the initial stutter was all Bonnie needed to know that it was a lie.

“Then you wouldn’t have let _this_ happen,” he hissed, lifting the Rabbit’s arm to emphasize the bleeding cut. “That’s too _deep_ to have been testing an _initial_ cut- and don’t think I don’t see the cuts on your hands. You already knew how much pressure it took, so _stop lying to me._ ”

It was almost humorous, he realized, of him to demand the Lapinian to be honest with him. Him, who pretty much said from the beginning that the blue Rabbit would be better off to them all dead.

The Lapinian’s eyes narrowed at Bonnie. “It doesn’t matter,” he stated flatly, but now Bonnie wasn’t buying it. The air around them was charged but he was pretty damn sure the negativity wasn’t spawned from his _own_ dislike of the other Rabbit.

He stared at the Rabbit, at those dull eyes and the slight furrow in his brow that gave away his unhappiness. He really _looked_ at him for perhaps the first time since they woke up on that planet, looking at how the other Rabbit stared back, eyes cold and dead.

They were nothing at all like what he’d seen two minutes before, when the Lapinian had thought he was alone and before he could really register Bonnie’s presence. _It’s a guise._

_But for what?_

Bonnie’s eyes flicked over to the cut on the other Rabbit’s arm. He wasn’t even _trying_ to stop the bleeding, and he clearly didn’t care about the dried blood on his palms. The larger male looked back at the younger, frown deepening. The other was tense- very tense- and wasn’t backing down, even as he tried, and failed, to pull his arm away from Bonnie’s grip.

“Are you depressed?”

It slipped out before he could even think about it. The other Rabbit stilled, eyes widening slightly. It wasn’t an _oh shit_ expression- it was more of a _wait, what?_ expression, as though the Rabbit had never even once considered it and had no idea where Bonnie had gotten the idea in the first place.

“What?” the Lapinian laughed uneasily, humorlessly, as he stared at Bonnie. “I’m Lapinian, I have nothing to be depressed about.”

That was exactly what Bonnie would have said, but his eyes flicked over to the deep cut on the blue Rabbit’s arm once again. He raised a brow at the younger, as if inviting him to explain. The green eyes followed his gaze, a strange look crossing the Rabbit’s features.

Realization followed.

“Wha- n-no, you’re misunderstanding!” The Lapinian gave him a sudden smile that was _way_ too wide to be even slightly real. “Really, you, uh, you just- I wasn’t- it’s not what you’re thinking-”

“I think it’s _exactly_ what I’m thinking.” Bonnie scowled at the smaller. “Drop the smile, it’s not fooling anyone.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Like hell,” Bonnie growled, lifting his arm yet again. “You’re an idiot if you think I’m gonna fall for that when you’re bleeding from a cut _you made on purpose_.”

The blue Rabbit didn’t seem to know how to respond. He was silent for several seconds before he repeated, “You’re misunderstanding. It’s not what you think.” Before Bonnie could say anything, he added, “Can you _please_ let go? You’re hurting me.”

It was bit out, as though it pained him just to admit it. _You’re hurting me._

Blinking, Bonnie realized his grip had steadily tightened around the other’s wrist. He hadn’t even realized how close he was to crushing the other’s wrist, and as he did he promptly released him. He watched the other stumble a few steps back, rubbing his wrist with a small frown.

It would bruise, Bonnie knew. _How am I gonna explain that to the protective asshole back at camp?_

The silence between the two Rabbits was tense; Cator wasn’t offering an explanation and Bonnie wasn’t offering an apology. It stretched on, green eyes watching him warily. Then, without warning, the smaller Rabbit turned and walked out into the trees.

Bonnie blinked, somewhat shocked as he watched the younger walk away. “What the- hey, get back here!” he demanded, hurrying to follow the Rabbit. “Freddy wants you back at camp, you-”

“Stop following me,” Cator huffed, glaring over his shoulder at him. “Do you not understand the concept of being _alone?”_

“Oh, yeah, I _totally_ trust you to be out on your own,” Bonnie snarked, tossing a gesture back in the direction of the vine. He didn’t glance back; he didn’t want to see the red still clinging to it. “Weren’t you and the others the ones insisting that this place isn’t safe, anyway?”

“Whatever, just leave me alone, Lacatran.”

“No.”

He heard the Rabbit huff in frustration, and then he suddenly took off in a run. Bonnie blinked, more than a little surprised as the Rabbit disappeared from sight, but then he rolled his eyes; he knew he could easily catch up to the other, but what was the point in wasting energy running when he could just follow the other’s footprints?

“You are aware that I can track, right?” he called ahead, listening to his voice echo around the trees. There was no response. A glance at the ground as he walked confirmed that the other hadn’t bothered to try and cover his tracks yet again. He sighed and followed the footprints.

_I can’t believe this._

He didn’t feel guilty, of course; there was nothing _he_ did, Freddy had made sure of that. Besides, someone didn’t just _hurt_ themselves because of one person they knew for less than a day. There was no way Bonnie or his brother were the reason for the Rabbit's actions.

_Then what_ is _his reason? Damn Lapinian..._

His eyes were on his surroundings and the ground, following the rushed footsteps almost leisurely. The Rabbit didn’t feel too concerned, as the other didn’t seem to have a death wish.

_Yeah. He just cut himself is all. And could have_ easily _disabled himself, the_ idiot _, what the hell was he thinking..._

Bonnie paused, raising a brow as something _new_ entered his sight. He stopped walking and frowned, peering over the unexpected development. It was a drop-off, about eight feet down. At the bottom of the drop the grass was in disarray, and a glance at Bonnie’s own feet showed that grass and dirt had been pulled away to reveal stone.

The Lapinian had slipped and fallen down.

He was silent for a moment before snorting. _Wow, weren’t watching where you were going, huh?_ he mused as he knelt down, observing the wall of the drop. It was made of jagged stone that could easily cut flesh if grabbed improperly, but it was climbable. Already Bonnie could see several potential hand and footholds.

However, Bonnie was a Lacatran and he had little patience for climbing down when he already knew how to land safely, so rather than begin a safe climb down he just leapt. When his feet hit the ground, though, grass and dirt was kicked up as his feet went straight through, and he stumbled as his feet hit something very _solid._

Catching himself before he could fall, Bonnie kicked dirt and grass away from his feet. He frowned; hardly three inches of dirt covered stone.

_Odd,_ he thought to himself, shaking the dirt off of his feet before he started following the footprints again. These were less hurried; the other Rabbit was walking again. _How are these trees growing?_

The trees around him were tall and still, just like the rest of the forest. However, unlike the rest of the forest, many of the trees in the drop were standing but it looked like just as many were toppled or leaning. He eyed the large root systems clinging desperately to the stone under it.

_Alien planets, don’t need to know how they work... but... these things aren’t gonna come crashing down on me, are they?_

Pushing the thought aside, he kept following the footprints. The silence echoed all around, and he had the impression that it was mocking him. What about, he wasn’t sure, but it just... _felt_ that way.

Soon enough, he found himself in a clearing. In the center was a... pond? Bonnie wasn’t sure, it was rather small and contained with no streams entering or exiting. It didn’t concern him, though; standing at the edge, staring thoughtfully into the water, was the Rabbit he had been sent to retrieve.

His stomach twisted at the sight of the blood against the blue fur; the Lapinian hadn’t even attempted to take care of it.

Bonnie approached the younger Rabbit, not making any effort to be quiet, but the other didn’t give any sign of hearing him anyay. “What are you thinking?” he asked casually, glancing towards the water. He got no answer. “Hey,” he started, somewhat irritated at being ignored. Still Cator didn’t respond. “Hey, are you deaf?” he huffed, reaching out to grab the other’s shoulder. “What are you-”

The moment his fingers touched the blue Rabbit’s shoulder, Cator yelped and jumped, clearly startled as he whirled around and lost his balance. Instinctively, Bonnie grabbed his shirt and pulled him away from the pond, scowling.

“Jumpy,” he muttered, releasing the blue Rabbit’s shirt. “What the hell?”

“Don’t sneak up on people!” Cator immediately huffed, sidestepping around Bonnie to walk around the pond. Bonnie briefly glanced at the water. It was clear at the top but seemed to become murky several feet down; he was unable to see the bottom. “Damn Rabbit...“

“What were you thinking?” Bonnie repeated, tearing his eyes away from the pond and following Cator.

“You wouldn’t care, I was just looking for a _logical_ explanation,” the blue Rabbit muttered, prompting Bonnie to roll his eyes.

“Answer me.”

“I _did_ answer you.”

“No you didn’t,” Bonnie growled, following the Rabbit out of the clearing. “What are you thinking?”

There was a moment of silence before Cator bitterly stated, “This place is scientifically incorrect.”

Those words only worked to irritate Bonnie further. _Should have figured it was about that. Damn Lapinian._ When he spoke, however, Bonnie pushed as much _told you so_ as possible into his voice; “Then just stop looking for scientific explanations. If there’s none, just accept it.”

“I can’t just _stop,_ ” Cator growled, pausing to glare back at him. “Being _ignorant_ isn’t a good thing.”

“Look,” Bonnie started, scowling as the Lapinian turned his back again, “knowing something is and accepting it are different from being _ignorant_. Being _ignorant_ is not realizing something is the way it is. This place makes no damn sense but we know it _is_ , so just _stop_.” He knew his words fell on deaf ears as the Lapinian suddenly bounded over to a toppled tree. Letting out a breath, Bonnie closed his eyes and ran a hand across his face. _Impossible._

“What are you doing?” he questioned, not even attempting to hide his irritation. “You know tree roots aren’t going to answer anything, right?” There was no response.

When he opened his eyes, the blue Rabbit was just staring down at the base of the tree, giving no indication he had heard or understood anything the colonist had said. Bonnie’s scowl deepened.

“What are you even looking at?” Bonnie demanded, eyes on the Rabbit. “You-”

“We have to get out of here.”

The other’s sharp tone actually caused Bonnie to pause. He blinked, watching the way the younger Rabbit tensed, the air around him practically screaming his unease. Slowly, the purple Rabbit began approaching the other. “What?”

“I get why this place is the way it is. We have to get out of here _right now,_ ” Cator repeated, turning his gaze up to Bonnie’s. The purple Rabbit was struck by how _serious_ the teen looked, his green eyes slightly wide but his brows drawn together. It was clear that the Lapinian had come to a horrible realization... and it deeply concerned him.

Suddenly, Bonnie had a feeling that he should actually _listen_ to the younger.

His eyes trailed down to the base of the tree where Cator had been staring so intently. He expected the hole. What he didn’t expect was for it to keep going, down and down until all of the light was gone, leaving nothing but empty blackness and the rhythmic _plink plink_ of dripping water. In the distance there was a crash... the sound of wood hitting stone.

Every instinct was now screaming _get out of here!_ and the Lapinian seemed to agree, his next words tinged with earnest.

“We’re standing in a death trap.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What’s about to happen? Hmm, you’ll find out next chapter, won’t you~? 
> 
> Hint hint, had Bonnie taken the time to really observe the edge of the drop-off (as Blu would have had he not tumbled down before he got a chance to), he would have realized that where Blu fell wasn’t the ONLY place where the soil and grass was disturbed... *wink*
> 
> The next two chapters are already written. The next chapter contains a scene I’ve had in my head since first thinking of this story~ Actually, it's one of two scenes that prompted me to actually begin writing this story; this is the first of many, early on to REALLY begin the story, and the second scene is basically the second-to-last scene of the entire fic, so it'll be ages until you get to see that. Trust me, it'll be worth it.


	6. Fly, You Fools

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was wanting to get BTM updated before updating this again, but I decided to give y'all a little gift and since BTM isn't done yet, and I have the next chapters already written for this one, here ya go~
> 
> Happy twenty-first to me, now onto the DRAMA!

When he came to the drop-off, he _had_ attempted to stop. Honestly. However, as he skid, the ground beneath his feet seemed to change and his feet lost their grip, sending him tumbling over the edge. When he hit the ground at the bottom, the wind was knocked out of him and he groaned, opening his eyes to stare at the canopy above.

He was lying on grass, but clearly whatever was under the soil was not soft in the slightest. His back ached, but he was thankful he had landed on his back and not his arm or- worse- his head.

Pushing himself to his feet, the Lapinian took a few breaths and stood up straight, ignoring the ache. Blu’s eyes trailed over to the wall of the drop off and instantly he felt relief flood through him.

The jagged stone wall towered over him, but when he was ready he’d be able to climb back up. Undoubtedly it would tear the wounds on his hands open again, but he would deal with that when it came. At the moment he was just glad he hadn’t fallen _against_ the jagged wall.

Something about the wall bothered him, though. He looked left and he looked right; the drop off continued, somewhat jaggedly, for as far as he could see. It was like he was standing in a bowl.

_Don’t think about it, Blu,_ he sighed to himself, turning around to face the forest ahead of him. _It’s probably nothing._

Silence echoed around him, somehow much, much more... _suffocating_ than in the rest of the forest. Trees towered over him, perfectly still as they reached for the sky above... or towards each other.

His eyes scanned over the sight of fallen and falling trees that were caught by another. _I should go back. Too many trees are downed here, that’s a bad sign._

_Oh, what are you talking about? There’s no telling how long ago those fell. Come on, nothing lives here, explore a little._

It was a sudden thought, completely against the nervous, worried twisting in his stomach. He knew he should turn back... but then he reminded himself that he was Lapinian, he shouldn’t _feel_ worried or nervous, and if he wanted to get past it he _needed_ to head deeper into the silence... if only to try and figure it out. He glanced back at the stone wall, frowning.

_Well. It couldn’t hurt... if I just go straight, I won’t get lost._

With that decided, he continued onwards, ignoring the feeling inside screaming _get out of here._

(If the Rabbit had known what _instinct_ felt like, perhaps he would have turned around. But he didn’t.)

As he walked, he watched the way the soil sifted beneath his feet. It looked like the grass alone was keeping it in place; it was a thin layer above a solid foundation. The soft padding of dirt and grass couldn’t cover the rough texture under it.

_Stone,_ he realized, furrowing his brow and glancing up at the trees around. _There’s stone under the grass and soil, so... what are the trees rooted to?_

It was unnerving. It didn’t make any sense; trees don’t grow on stone. There was no wind, so the trees were deathly still. _How is the canopy so thick? These trees can’t have the nutrition they need._

_But... it’s an alien planet, I don’t know how these trees work._

With that reminder, he continued on. For all he knew, these trees _could_ grow through stone. The downed trees could easily be a probability, he reasoned. Some trees stuck, some didn’t.

_Let’s hope that theory is right or else I am taking one hell of a risk out here._

Soon the trees dispersed and Blu found himself standing in a clearing. In the center was a pond of some sort. Curious, the blue Rabbit approached, pausing just at the edge to look into the water.

It looked clean but he knew looks could be deceiving- especially in still water. The pond was clear, the light filtering impossibly through the thick canopy above penetrating several feet before tapering off. There seemed to be no current, no motion, and no life in the rounded pond.

Something was nagging him about what he saw, though.

_It’s really deep,_ he noted, ears twitching. It wasn’t odd for still waters to be deep, of course... it was just an observation. _The sides are stone, too... just like the drop-off wall. Does that mean anything? Is it coincidence? Or is it just how this area works... stone underneath a thin layer of soil... it’s almost like-_

His thoughts were rudely interrupted as something landed on his shoulder. With a small, surprised cry, he whirled around to face who- or what- had touched him. He had just enough time to register the purple Rabbit before his foot landed wrong, slipping on the loose soil at the edge of the pond.

For a moment, fear spiked through him as he felt his weight shift backwards, but then the Lacatran grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him away from the pond. Although Blu _definitely_ wanted to chew the taller Rabbit out for touching him, he would take that any day over falling into the deep pond.

“What the hell?” Bonnie demanded as he released Blu’s shirt.

“Don’t sneak up on people!” Blu immediately threw back at him, stepping to the side. He didn’t want the elder Rabbit to know just how badly he had startled (and scared) him, so he quickly moved past him. “Damn Rabbit...”

“What were you thinking?” the purple Rabbit questioned, and Blu just _knew_ without even looking that Bonnie was following him.

_What are you following me for?! Go away!_

“You wouldn’t care,” he opted to say. “I was looking for a _logical_ explanation.”

“Answer me,” Bonnie demanded and Blu scowled, keeping his eyes ahead of him as he approached the other side of the clearing.

“I _did_ answer you.” It was technically true, he just didn’t give the Rabbit the answer he desired.

“No you didn’t,” the Lacatran actually growled. “What are you thinking?”

_Is he honestly annoyed that I’m_ not _speaking my mind?! Do you want me to shut up or talk? For the love of- just make up your mind, colonist!_

Finally, though, when it became clear that Bonnie wouldn’t let up on it, he bit out, “This place is scientifically incorrect.”

“Then just stop looking for scientific explanations. If there’s none, just accept it,” Bonnie stated, sounding so _smug_ that Blu really wanted to just claw the other’s face off.

“I can’t just _stop,_ ” he growled slightly, stopping just a few feet short of the treeline to turn and face the Rabbit. “Being _ignorant_ isn’t a good thing.”

The irritation was clear on Bonnie’s face and Blu knew he was about to get lectured. _Lectured by a Lacatran? I don’t think so._ He turned his back as the Rabbit began with, “Look, knowing something _is_ and...”

Blu promptly tuned out as his eyes landed on a fallen tree ahead of him. Something was nagging at him about the tree... His gaze trailed up and down it, noting that the leaves were still full and green. That the tree had only recently fallen.

Suddenly he realized... many of the trees he’d seen walking through had still been alive and _green._ Many of them had fallen recently- within the last few days, if the thickness and green of the leaves were anything to go by. Something twisted in his stomach.

His gaze snapped to the downed tree’s roots, dreading what he’d see.

They were attached to nothing, and the soil it had been settled on was clinging to its roots. Blu couldn’t see what had been under the tree, though, not from that angle.

His heart sped up. A bad feeling welled up in his chest.

_Stone wall, stone floor, downed trees, perfectly still, pond in the middle of clearing with absolutely no streams... trees with no grip. Something isn’t right here._

Whatever Bonnie was saying was ignored as Blu’s mind raced, and he suddenly ran over to the tree, making sure to stop in a way that wouldn’t cause his feet to slide across the soil and stone. What met his sight made him feel somewhat numb. The hole beneath the tree wasn’t large, but it was deep. It was deep, dark, and _wet,_ with drops sliding down the walls and dripping down into the blackness below. Echoing back, Blu could hear a splash.

The walls were stone.

_A cave,_ he realized, eyes widening slightly. _We’re standing above a cave. The drop-off... it wasn’t natural. The roof of a cave system- it collapsed. Or is collapsing slowly over time._

_A cave system... filled with_ water.

_Oh no..._

The pond flashed into his mind, the water lapping against the stone wall. No streams ran in or from it, the water completely still with no sign of life inside.

_Not a pond. A hole. A hole in the ceiling filled with water. But if there’s this hole and that hole- then how many more holes are there?_

In the distance, he heard leaves rustle. A glance up showed the trees, at the very top, beginning to sway in the wind.

He could almost swear his heart skipped a beat because now he knew.

He _knew._

“We have to get out of here.”

He wasn’t sure what the Rabbit had been saying before, but he knew that he had interrupted him. At that moment, though, Blu didn’t care. “What?” he heard Bonnie question. He didn’t sound offended, just... wary. Confused. Uneasy.

Blu turned to look at him. “I get why this place is the way it is,” he told the Rabbit simply. There was no time for explanation. “We have to get out of here _right now.”_

Those red eyes stared at him before trailing down to the hole near Blu’s feet. In the distance there was the _crash_ of a falling tree, echoing loudly in the silence around them.

Blu knew Bonnie understood now. He could tell by the way the Rabbit had tensed up, but still he said, “We’re standing in a death trap.”

As if to accentuate his words, there was the sound of ripping. Both of their gazes snapped over to the edge of the clearing and they watched, wide-eyed, as a tree went crashing down, soil and grass flying up into the air. The wind caught it, carrying it across the clearing.

_The wind._

“Run,” was all he managed to utter, but Bonnie didn’t need to hear anything more as both Rabbits whirled around and took off in the direction they had come from.

The silence that had been settled around them was no more, but Blu would much rather hear the unnerving quiet than the terrifying sound of howling wind, rustling leaves, ripping grass roots, and trees slamming against the stone beneath their feet.

His heart racing and adrenaline pumping, he surprisingly was able to keep up with the larger Rabbit. Behind them, a tree slammed into the ground and Blu could feel soil from the impact hit the back of his leg. Thankfully it was just soil and not stone, but it was still terrifying.

When the tree crashed down _right in front_ of them, causing both of them to skid to a stop, Blu slipped in the soil and fell to the ground, and he had a new definition of terrifying. Bonnie grabbed his arm and yanked him up as he darted to the side, and Blu was forced to continue running so he wouldn’t stumble and bring both of them down. When he was steady on his feet again, Bonnie released him.

_Holes. There could be holes under the soil,_ Blu remembered through his panicked haze. _We were lucky not to fall in before, now we’re off our path...!_

“There could be holes!” he tried to warn the older Rabbit through his, admittedly rough, breathing, his eyes on the ground. He flinched as a tree fell with a resounding _bang!_ right next to them, but neither of them slowed down. “Watch out for-”

As he tried to give the warning again, the ground beneath them gave; he could hear the grass ripping a second before the soil collapsed, sending both of them falling into the hole. Instinctively, Blu’s hands shot out towards the side, grabbing for any support he could. One hand landed in the sifting, falling soil above while the other slammed into the stone, sending a shockwave of pain up and down his arm.

With a strangled cry, he clung to the wall. Next to him Bonnie seemed to fare better, quickly locating footholds to climb up and out of the hole, but Blu just couldn’t get a good enough grip to climb. The wet, slippery stone dug painfully into his left hand- _oh man this stings, it’s open isn’t it, why did I leave the bandages behind?!-_ as he tightened his grip, and the dirt sifting under his right hand threatened to send him falling down into the hole.

Somewhere in the darkness below, he could hear the rain of soil and grass hit water.

_Oh man, drowning- not the way I pictured dying,_ he thought miserably to himself. _Wonder what would be better- drowning or being crushed by a tree? Does it really matter? Either way you’re dead in the end._

However, before he could really continue thinking about his own imminent demise, Bonnie grabbed his right wrist and yanked him up. He yelped in surprise, flailing slightly as he no longer had anything to hold onto. Then his feet were back on the ground.

He could hear ripping grass.

“Don’t just sit there, you idiot!” Bonnie hissed, dragging him along just as the tree fell towards them. “Run!”

Bonnie’s eyes were on the trees around them, watching for the trees that fell, so Blu let his eyes fall to the ground to watch for the holes. His sharp eyes easily noticed the slight nuance between the supported soil and the soil depending solely on the grass to hold it up.

It was... oddly natural, how they fell into their new “roles.” Bonnie, still gripping Blu’s wrist, pulling the younger along and avoiding the falling trees, and Blu avoiding the holes in the ground, tugging or pushing at Bonnie’s hand to indicate which direction to move in.

It was an instinctive system made up in the moment, and Blu knew it wouldn’t have worked long-term. Eventually they would have come upon a hole _and_ a falling tree, where the only choice would have been to either fall or risk getting crushed. However, it _wasn’t_ a long-term solution _or_ a long-term problem, as the stone drop-off- _the cave’s walls-_ came into sight relatively soon after.

The sight of the wall was welcome, and even though it wasn’t the same place Blu had fallen from it wouldn’t be hard to find their way back.

The real challenge would be climbing, and Blu wasn’t quite sure he could manage it. He would damn well _try,_ though.

The Rabbits reached the wall without much more incident (not including the tree that slammed into the wall itself, breaking in half on the jagged edge), and Bonnie promptly released Blu’s wrist in favour of climbing.

Blu’s hands met the cold stone wall and he bit back a hiss. He didn’t take time to look at his wounds; he knew the soil was clinging to them and climbing up the stone wall would only aggravate them.

_I’ll take my chances,_ he thought, gritting his teeth as he started climbing. He wasn’t as quick as the Lacatran- _no surprise there-_ and he knew he didn’t have time to be careful, but the pain in his hands made it hard, so very hard, to get a proper grip.

Still, he was _very_ aware of the trees still crashing down behind him, the wind howling in the canopy above. How any of the trees, with absolutely no grip in the ground below, survived the onslaught was a mystery- a mystery Blu had no interest in solving.

_Note to self- never again! Note to self- listen to instincts! Note to self-_ don’t _go anywhere alone! Note to self, don’t be a freaking_ idiot!

When his hands hit soil, he was all too happy to pull himself up. Almost immediately his hands slipped in the loose soil, but he managed to catch himself before he could tumble all the way back down. He dug his hand through the soil, finding the stone beneath, and he latched onto the rough surface and pulled himself up into the relative safety of the raised ground.

The top part of a tree slammed into the wall right next to him, its thin, brittle twig-like branches slapping him in the face and shoulder. He let out a startled and slightly-pained yelp and scrambled away, lifting a hand to his cheek. He could already feel the stinging, where the whip-like branches and leaves had hit with far too much pressure and speed.

He was just glad it was his cheek and not his eye or neck. His shirt seemed to have saved his shoulder, but he wasn’t quite sure at that moment; it was stinging somewhat but not nearly as badly.

Pushing himself to his feet, he glanced around and found Bonnie, whose foot seemed to have been trapped by one of the falling trees as he pulled himself over. A quick scan of the Lacatran’s face showed that he didn’t seem to be in severe pain so the idea that the tree had completely crushed his foot quieted.

That was good; Blu was a lot shorter than the older Rabbit, he was sure that he wouldn’t be the best support for Bonnie if his foot were crushed or even broken.

The blue Rabbit made his way over to the purple Rabbit, keeping his eyes on the trees next to the drop-off. He knew any of them could fall towards them; that close, they could even land _on_ them. Luckily for Bonnie, it seemed that the tree that landed against his leg had been a fair distance away, so it was the thinner, lighter top half pinning his foot down and hanging over the edge.

_Still, how’d he manage to_ not _crush his foot?_

It didn’t take long to get his answer. The purple Rabbit’s last foothold had been inside a cranny in the wall, and the tree had fallen at an angle where it was putting little to no pressure on the leg, most of it settled down on the stones the Lacatran’s foot was between.

(Blu chose to ignore the fact that the tree had fallen right behind himself and could have easily slammed into _him_ had it been just an inch or two to the left.)

The bark was just barely pressing against Bonnie’s foot; the real problem was that now Bonnie could not _remove_ his foot from the cranny.

_Better stuck than crushed, though,_ Blu figured.

He had never been a big believer in luck but at that moment Blu could honestly say that the other Rabbit was probably the luckiest Lacatran in the world.

Then he remembered that there were only two Lacatrans on the planet so pickings for luckiest were rather slim, anyway.

Brushing his miniature tangent off, Blu glanced up at Bonnie. The colonist looked frustrated as he tugged uselessly at his foot. A crashing several yards away caused both Rabbits to wince.

_Focus on the task at hand,_ Blu told himself, turning his gaze back to Bonnie’s trapped foot. The Rabbit wasn’t wearing shoes, he noticed for the first time, but he didn’t dwell on it; in the villages of Lacatra, shoes were more detrimental than safe, reducing the gripping capabilities of the Rabbits who lived in the forests there. Bonnie not wearing shoes should have honestly been a given.

_Think quickly, Blu, the wind’s getting stronger- more trees will fall at this rate._ He glanced up at the forest, then towards the tree trapping Bonnie’s foot. The Lacatran might have been speaking but Blu wasn’t quite sure; his thoughts took up all of his concentration.

_Bonnie’s foot is trapped but the tree isn’t actually on it. It’s stone, can’t dig him out; don’t have any tools at hand to cut the tree... I am so not strong enough to move it, it’s- wait!_

Blu’s eyes flicked between the tree, noting its awkward angle, and the ground, then back towards the stone the tree had landed against. He could just barely see scrape marks where the tree first hit and slid before settling.

_It’s unstable,_ he realized suddenly, noting the way the tree was lying across the stone. _I don’t need to be strong enough to move it, just leverage it. It’s balanced weakly across the stone the Lacatran’s foot’s stuck in, if I can move it just a few inches gravity should take care of the rest!_

_Thankfully it’s the lighter half of the tree..._

Scrambling to his feet, Blu moved around Bonnie, ignoring the way the Lacatran looked at him. He didn’t have time to explain anything.

_Rabbits have naturally strong legs, if I brace my back against the ground I could use my legs to shift the tree._

Following that train of thought and ignoring the tree top that smashed against the stone hardly two feet to his left, he dropped down to the ground, planted his feet against the tree and dug his hands through the dirt, grabbing the stone beneath for extra support. It didn’t take him even a few seconds to determine where the tree was weakest, putting as much pressure against it as he could.

The tree shifted a few centimeters, but he didn’t let up on the pressure. Weakening, the tree slipped further, and Blu’s legs were beginning to burn from the effort.

Light half or not, the tree was _heavy._

Finally, though, the tree shifted and jerked as its precarious balance was thrown off. Blu had all of three seconds to register it falling, drop his legs, and roll away from the incoming branches and leaves as the tree tumbled back down the stone wall.

He collided with Bonnie as he did so, but he would much rather be too close to the Lacatran than be where he was lying before as one of the tree’s branches slammed down, taking the soil, grass, and chunks of stone with it as it sent the tree twisting back down onto the collapsed cavern roof. Blu tried not to think about how close to getting himself killed he had been; that branch had broken the stone away, who knew what it could have done to his body?

With his foot free, Bonnie yanked himself completely over the side of the drop, and Blu pushed himself to his own feet.

His legs were burning but they weren’t safe yet.

Bonnie grabbed his wrist again and dragged him along, perfectly aware of how much danger they were still in. Neither of them said anything, concentrating solely on _get away get away get out of here!_

The younger wasn’t sure how much time had passed before they could no longer hear the crashing of trees, but as the sounds of disaster and terror faded the Rabbits slowed down to a stop, both’s breathing somewhat ragged from the continuous run and the physical effort it had taken to get away from the death-bowl.

As the Lacatran released Blu’s wrist, Blu promptly let himself fall to the ground, leaning back against a tree and looking at his ruined hands. They were coated in dirt and bleeding, his cheek was bleeding, and his legs were aching; he had no doubt Bonnie had gotten hurt somehow as well, when they fell in the hole or when the tree had trapped him. It had still been touching him, after all.

_Need to get to the stream,_ he told himself, but he couldn’t convince himself to move.

“Come on, get up,” Bonnie told him, voice somewhat rough from his breathing. “We need to get to the stream at least.”

Blu knew he was right- he had literally just thought the same thing- but part of him wanted to be selfish, just for once.

(He ignored the part of him that pointed out that had Bonnie just left when he noticed Blu had gone over the drop, like Blu had been wanting, the Lapinian would probably be dead and no one would have ever known his fate.)

“We just escaped a death trap,” he complained instead, dropping his hands and leaning his head against the tree. Every part of him was screaming, it seemed. “Can’t we rest even a _little_ while?”

If the Lacatran was going to protest, he didn’t voice it. Instead, a few seconds of silence passed between them before Bonnie sighed in irritation, but rather than try and force Blu to continue onwards he dropped down across from Blu, leaning against the tree there. Blu didn’t pay him anymore mind, choosing to close his eyes and concentrate on his breathing. He had never done that much physical labour in his life, and the fact that he considered running and climbing physical labour almost upset him.

The only positive he could find, and it wasn’t really a positive at all, was that he could hear the purple Rabbit’s rough breathing, letting him know that Bonnie felt the effects too.

Heavy silence fell around them, but this time it was welcomed. The wind in the trees above was the only sound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dat title reference tho
> 
> I won’t show the entire scene from Bonnie’s perspective, since his only objective had, like Blu, been to get out of there alive, but you will get Bonnie’s POV on Blu getting him out of his pinned situation.
> 
> Also, as a quick note, I'm sure you've noticed Bonnie refers to Blu as "the Lapinian" or even "Cator" while Blu settles for a simple "Bonnie" despite clearly not liking him, I may explain that later. May. It's not complicated to figure out, they're from different planets with separate cultures after all. 
> 
> ...
> 
> Okay, I'll just say it- on Lapinia it's more respectful to use a person's last name than their first. If you remember from the prologue, everyone always referred to Blu as Bandi or Bandi Cator but never just "Cator" or "Mr. Cator." It's a respect thing. Meanwhile on Lacatra, like on Earth it's a distance thing- we don't call people we like by their surnames, with a few exceptions... but Lacatra doesn't have honorifics like we do that can change a potentially insulting action into an act of respect.


	7. Damaged, but not Broken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So as it turns out, it's taking me MUCH longer to write BTM than I expected, especially now that school's back in. I have five written completely, one halfway done, three are through their first "section," and one isn't even started. I just need to find the energy to do the cross-writing (we're almost to the point where the stories diverge and there won't be nearly as much cross-writing, and they'll be different stories; after that I should, ironically, get updates out faster). However, until then, have the next Phantom Watchers. I hate leaving y'all hangin'.

He saw the tree out of the corner of his eye, falling from his left at an odd angle, and he tried to pull himself over the edge before it landed.

To say the least, he didn’t succeed. His foot was tucked into a crevice between two stones, and those two stones just _happened_ to be where the tree landed.

It was both a stroke of luck and misfortune that the two stones _didn’t_ break from the force. On the one hand, shattered stone didn’t embed itself into his flesh and the tree only scraped against the back of his foot rather than _crushing it completely._

On the other hand, his foot was stuck and he was now in the awkward position of his hands against the ground, bracing himself on one knee and the other leg stretching awkwardly and somewhat-painfully down to the cranny he had been using to boost himself up.

In other words, he was a sitting duck for any other trees that might come crashing down.

Frustration quickly filled him as he tugged at his foot, but the tree and stone refused to budge. He was sufficiently trapped; he could feel the pressure from the tree and the stone both, pressing against his foot and even his leg right above the crevice, where the tree was balancing.

He could only gather the tree’s position from the branches hanging over him, what he could see to his left and right, and the feeling of the tree against the back of his foot and calf. He could also feel a warmth gathering, thinly, on the back of his heel where the tree had scraped him.

It was stinging lightly, but he paid it no mind as Cator pulled himself up over the wall finally. He watched the tree fall on the other side of the rabbit, wincing slightly as the Rabbit yelped and scrambled away. Even from the distance he was at, he had heard the fleshy sound of what might as well have been a thin whip hitting the Lapinian.

Whether it hurt or not, the Lapinian didn’t dwell on it; instead he looked around before his eyes landed on Bonnie. Before the purple Rabbit could determine what the younger was thinking, Cator was by his side.

_Are you an idiot? Run!_

He didn’t say it aloud, though; it was clear to him that the blue Rabbit was focusing on anything but conversation and his words would go right over the other’s head. Figuring that the young scientist- at least, Bonnie assumed he was a scientist, based on his insistence of _experiment_ \- was paying him no real mind, he attempted yet again to free his foot despite knowing it was futile.

A crash not far behind startled him and he winced, the sharp sound somewhat painful to his ears. He glanced back at the Lapinian in time to see him turn back to Bonnie’s foot, his brows drawn together in clear thought.

“Don’t bother, kid, just go,” he growled slightly, but the Rabbit gave no indication of hearing- just as he expected. “This is useless and you’re gonna get yourself killed.”

There was still no reaction. Just as he thought, there was no way to actually _talk_ to the Rabbit when he got this way. _Damn Lapinian, listen to me you jerk._

He silently watched as the Lapinian’s expression loosened and his eyes flicked between the tree and stone, as though noticing something that Bonnie hadn’t. That wouldn’t have been hard at all, considering Bonnie couldn’t see his trapped foot at the moment.

Whatever it was the Rabbit had realized had apparently been groundbreaking- at least pertaining to this moment. The Lapinian didn’t even react to the tree that collided with the stone wall right behind him, the wood shattering and scattering across the grass, as he scrambled to his feet and circled around Bonnie.

Bonnie furrowed his brow, watching the Lapinian move underneath where the tree was hanging over. “What are you doing?” he questioned, despite knowing the smaller Rabbit wouldn’t answer. “Getting _under_ it seems like a- _what are you doing?_ ” The Lapinian dropped down under the tree on his back and Bonnie stared, incredulous. It looked _extremely_ dangerous. It made no sense to him.

At least, it didn’t until the Rabbit lifted his legs and planted them against the tree. His feet shifted only slightly once he had done so and his hands dug into the ground before he began pushing the tree.

_Leverage._

_There’s no way it’s gonna work,_ he thought, but already he could feel the tree slipping away, very slightly. The Lapinian didn’t let the slight motion deter him, continuing to push until the tree jerked, losing its- _precarious, it was precarious-_ perch.

The tree began to fall, its branches heading straight for the Lapinian’s spot, but Cator was faster; releasing the ground and dropping his legs, he rolled out of the tree’s path.

He hit Bonnie but Bonnie couldn’t be bothered to care at the moment, watching wide-eyed as the tree’s branches smashed into and _through_ the ground, sending stone and soil and grass flying into the air while the tree twisted and spun as it continued its fall to the forest floor below the drop.

Bonnie briefly closed his eyes and ducked his head as some of the debris hit him. Thankfully it was nothing too big and it wasn’t moving nearly fast enough to actually pierce his skin.

It took him a moment to really register that his foot was free, and as the Lapinian was getting up to his feet Bonnie pulled his own foot free and practically leapt up. Without really thinking about it, Bonnie grabbed the other’s wrist and took off running again, ignoring the slight throbbing in his foot that reminded him that he had at the very _least_ been scraped. Cator didn’t protest the motion, though Bonnie knew that could very well have been because he wasn’t breathing correctly as they ran and simply could _not_ make any protest.

Mind you, Bonnie wasn’t breathing correctly either and it, along with the sheer amount of _running_ and _climbing_ and the forced kneeling and stretching, was taking its toll on him. He could only imagine how the less physically-fit Lapinian felt at the moment.

The wind kept howling through the treetops above, and Bonnie was absolutely sure that it hadn’t done that in the short time they’d been on the planet. _Just my luck that it’d happen when we’re in literally the most dangerous and susceptible place on the fucking planet. What the hell even_ was _that shit anyway?!_

He slowed to a stop when, at last, he could no longer hear the crashing of falling trees. How any of the trees remained standing was a mystery to Bonnie, but he decided that _that_ was a question he would _much_ rather not have answered.

He wasn’t sure he’d like what he heard.

_Note to self; never go there again,_ he told himself, releasing the smaller Rabbit’s wrist at last.

Almost immediately, Cator let himself fall to the ground and Bonnie frowned as he leaned back against a tree. It was clear to the Rabbit that the Lapinian was exhausted, but as he caught sight of the younger’s hands he knew they needed to get to the stream they had found.

The younger Rabbit’s hands were covered in dirt and blood. Undoubtedly the wounds had reopened. On Cator’s left cheek he could also see several thin, bleeding cuts. Those looked shallow enough, but they were clearly visible even through the Rabbit’s fur, which somewhat concerned Bonnie.

The fact that they could be mistaken for clawmarks was almost unnerving; he knew exactly what the Ursian back at camp’s first assumption would be. However, that was honestly the least of Bonnie’s concern; it was obvious that both of them had been through an ordeal, with their clothes stained with mud and both sporting a few new scrapes and bruises.

Bonnie could feel the scrapes on his own hands from slipping against the wet stone stinging, but he chose to ignore it for the moment. He could focus on and count his own injuries later.

“Come on,” he called to Cator, “get up. We need to get to the stream at least.”

The Lapinian’s emerald eyes shifted from his hands up to Bonnie, clearly unhappy. “We just escaped a death trap,” he complained, letting his hands drop down onto his raised knees. “Can’t we rest even a _little_ while?”

Bonnie’s first instinct was to say _no_ but he paused. His own breathing was somewhat ragged but the Lapinian’s sounded like he was about to die. And, admittedly, Bonnie’s own body was protesting the thought of continuing on right then as well.

_I should make sure nothing major happened, anyway. A short rest won’t kill us._

_Hopefully._

With a sigh, Bonnie sat down across from the blue Rabbit. Seeing this, Cator closed his eyes and rested against the tree.

Bonnie looked at his own hands, brushing the dirt off and frowning at the way the fur had been scraped away, revealing raw and slightly-bleeding palms. His grip had slipped a few times in the hole and on the drop’s wall, so the sight wasn’t any surprise to him. It was minor, though, so he moved his gaze to his foot that was grazed by the tree.

The back of the heel and the flesh right above it had been scraped and was lightly bleeding as well, but again no real damage had been done. Thankfully; that could have easily disabled him, even if it was temporarily. A slight ache told him that the pressure from the tree had caused more strain than what it had first appeared to, but it was nothing debilitating.

Satisfied that his own injuries were only mild, he turned his attention to the Lapinian sitting in front of him. A quick scan revealed what he had already assumed; the worst damage was the Rabbit’s pre-existing injuries. The scratches on his cheek were shallow, and the cloth on his shoulder was torn but it lacked blood, so Bonnie believed it safe to assume that the branches hadn't managed to break through his skin. There was a slice in the Lapinian’s shoe, probably from climbing the stone wall, but Bonnie hadn’t detected any sort of limp as they ran so he doubted there was an injury there.

Of course, as he watched the Lapinian sit there silently, showing absolutely zero sign of pain despite what _had_ to be burning agony in his hands, Bonnie knew looks could be deceiving.

He watched the teen, reluctantly admitting to himself that the Lapinian was at a disadvantage from the very start. Not even old enough by Lacatran standards to leave his parents and claim a mate, he was in that awkward stage between childhood and adulthood, and he had abruptly been pulled away from everything he knew- computers, automatic systems, planetwide connection, vehicles, factories, and so much more that Bonnie could never even imagine- and dropped into a place more primitive than but similar to Bonnie’s own planet...

With a bunch of strangers.

Of course the Lapinian would struggle. This was a situation he didn’t know or understand, a situation over which he had no control. No technology, no safetynets, no other Lapinians to confer with, nothing but his own wits and forced trust in complete strangers to rely on.

But Bonnie had to give him props, anyway; he was quick, both physically and mentally. Bonnie wouldn’t have even considered trying to leverage the tree- not that he could, anyway, being the one trapped by it- and he wouldn’t have put the pieces together nearly soon enough to get himself out of the “death trap,” as the Lapinian had called it.

Then again, if the Lapinian hadn’t wandered off in the first place they wouldn’t have even been there.

And maybe Bonnie would still feel perfectly alright with hating the Rabbit at face value.

He closed his eyes, scowling to himself as certain memories flashed through his mind. They were vivid memories; he could remember the sounds, the smells, the sights, could even remember the symbols that had been carved into the trees around...

He had only been around eight or nine, but clear as day he could remember hiding with his injured brothers, watching from the trees as a Lapinian walked through the burning remains of his village. He could remember how the Rabbit had passed a young girl crying for help, barely even glancing her way as he did so.

He could remember the satisfied expression on his face, knowing that he had successfully quelled the growing rebellion. That he had been the one to destroy innocent lives, forcing the survivors back into subservience and reminding them all of what Lapinia was capable of. That he had put them back in their place, reinforcing Lapinian rule over the colony.

General Commander Cator had no sympathy, no regrets, as he watched villages burn and demanded the deaths of Lacatrans- old, young, male, female, village leader, village gravekeeper, it didn’t matter who or what they were. In the end, they were all Lacatrans and they were all rebellious.

General Commander Cator had not even batted an eye at the sight of a child, barely past toddler years, bleeding out on the ground- and the fact that Bonnie now knew he’d had a son around the same age only made it worse. General Commander Cator had looked at a child who, for all intents and purposes, could have been his own... and walked away, leaving her to die as their world burned around them.

_Bandi_ Cator, however, put himself in danger’s way to help Bonnie- a Lacatran who made his stance on Lapinia clear. The General Commander’s own son had saved someone who was making his life more difficult, even though they weren’t friends. Even though they didn’t like each other- even though Bonnie made it clear he outright _hated_ the Lapinian, antagonizing him at every turn- he had still chosen to help rather than run and save himself.

General Commander Cator would not have been in any danger if he had helped the suffering child. _Bandi_ Cator nearly got himself killed.

_Maybe Freddy was right. The son’s not his father._

Even in his mind’s eye, he couldn’t put the teen in front of him in his father’s place. There was just too much difference now. They weren’t nearly as interchangeable as he had thought.

“I don’t get you,” he suddenly started, not even thinking about his words.

“Huh?”

Bonnie opened his eyes and looked at the blue Rabbit, who was now looking at him in confusion. Of course the Lapinian wouldn’t understand his statement; he was smart, not a mind reader.

“You _are_ General Commander Cator’s son, right?” he questioned, watching as the Rabbit’s expression hardened.

“Yes. I’m the son of General Commander Akrai Cator and Dr. Aniya Martel.”

His voice was dull and his eyes looked almost _dead_ as he stated this. It sounded like a pre-prepared message, an answer to a question he got asked a lot. He didn’t sound like he was happy about the fact.

Bonnie just watched him, frowning. “You don’t act anything like him.”

“That’s because I’m _not_ him,” Cator scoffed, looking away. “I’m _Bandi_ Cator, not _Akrai_ Cator.”

“But he raised you.”

“Yeah. _Raised_ me,” he snorted, as though it was the funniest thing he had ever heard. His eyes were like steel, though, as he turned back to Bonnie, voice taking on a harsh edge. “My father has authority over me, but never make that mistake; my _father_ didn’t raise me, and neither did my _mother._ ” Bonnie chose not to interrupt, allowing the Lapinian to say his piece with only a little confusion. “I live with them and I obey them as is proper, but I was _raised_ inside a _school._ The lessons I learned in that house are lessons I _won’t_ carry into my own.”

It sounded bitter, tinged with hatred, and Bonnie suddenly wondered what kind of childhood he must have had to hate his parents and the lessons they taught him so much. Bonnie barely had any memories of his own parents but- distantly- he could still remember the values they had begun teaching him before the last Rebellion. He couldn’t imagine hating them or the things they had instilled in him.

Of course, Cator wasn’t Bonnie. Everything was completely different on Lapinia.

“But isn’t that how it always is with Lapinians?” he prodded, raising a brow. He didn’t know much about Lapinian society, but he did know education was a large part of their lives. “You basically live half at school and half at home.”

“My house was a school itself,” Cator muttered, turning his gaze to the ground. Bonnie noticed the distance phrasing; _house._ Not _home._ “When I got back from school I studied until dinner. That was the rule. And yes- that _is_ how most Lapinians are. I just didn’t like it but I could live with it.”

There was something that the teen wasn’t saying... but Bonnie decided not to pry. It wasn’t any of _his_ business, after all. Instead, he commented, “Well I hope you’re not expected to follow your father’s footsteps. You don’t... seem like that kind of person,” he admitted, albeit begrudgingly. He didn’t like even admitting to _himself_ that any Lapinian didn’t seem like the kind of person who _wouldn’t_ destroy lives.

“I’m not,” Cator muttered, brushing his hands off on his already-dirty pants. “Expected to, that is. I mean, when I was born I was. Most sons are expected to follow their father’s path and most daughters are expected to follow their mother’s, few change it up, but shit happened and I was requested to be transferred to military science dual pathway.”

Something sounded strange in that sentence. Bonnie raised a brow. “You requested or you _were_ requested?”

“I _was_ requested,” he muttered. “By the Chancellor. Because reasons.”

It was clear that Cator wasn’t going to give more on that specific topic so Bonnie dropped it. “So if you’re still in military, why aren’t you expected to become the General Commander?”

“Because I’m a _scientist,_ not a soldier,” was the simple answer. “Military scientists don’t fight or command, we... build and repair. We... work on the ships and...” The Rabbit’s voice trailed off, his emerald eyes refusing to look at Bonnie now.

It didn’t matter, though. Bonnie knew what he meant.

Military scientists built weapons.

Weapons to destroy.

Had the... Rabbit mentioned that fact just hours before, Bonnie would have completely flipped out on him. _Weapons, like the ones that destroyed Lacatran villages and stole Lacatran lives._ It would have been all of the “proof” he needed that Cator was just like all of the other Lapinians- just like his father. However, the way the blue Rabbit refused to look at him, the way he sounded, how bitter and downright _hateful_ he was towards his own parents- and potentially the entire planet...

Bandi Cator did not look happy. He did not sound happy. He didn’t even sound content or complacent; he sounded more like he was cursing his very existence at that moment. Like he wished he could be anyone other than Bandi Cator.

_He doesn’t want to be a scientist._

That realization struck him hard; the teen didn’t sound happy about science at all. He was always looking for logic and facts, but not once had Cator bemoaned the lack of computers or holograms or... whatever else existed on Lapinia. He was upset that he was being forced to pursue science, he was angry, he was... _hurt._

The Rabbit was smart but... _is it possible he wishes he wasn’t Lapinian?_

Slowly, hesitantly, Bonnie asked, “What do you... _want_ to do, though?”

The silence that fell between them felt heavier than the silence in the Death Forest had. Something flashed through the Rabbit’s eyes, but Bonnie couldn’t decipher it as, suddenly, Cator stood up.

“It doesn’t matter,” the Rabbit informed him bitterly, turning away. “My future isn’t _my_ choice.” Before Bonnie could say anything to contradict his words or question their meaning, Cator continued, “We should go, we don’t know how long day lasts on this planet.”

Bonnie watched, somewhat shocked, as the blue Rabbit abruptly moved away, back towards camp and, by extension, the stream. After registering exactly what had just happened, he shoved himself to his feet to follow the younger Rabbit. He caught up within seconds.

“Wait, but you-” he started, but the Lapinian cut him off.

“Childhood fantasies shouldn’t be entertained at my age. It’s not my choice, so _back off.”_

The aggression that entered his voice almost caused Bonnie to pause. Clearly the younger Rabbit was _very_ upset over it, upset enough to very nearly _challenge_ Bonnie.

Bonnie _knew_ it wasn’t a challenge, of course; the teen was just getting defensive about a sensitive issue as all teens do. However, Bonnie just didn’t understand- did the Lapinian really get no say in his own future?

Despite his curiosity and confusion, Bonnie knew better than to push it. The younger wasn’t his friend and they were still on bad terms, their shared near-death experience aside. If he pushed too far, pried too much, into something that Cator wasn’t willing to share, it would only make matters worse- as impossible as that seemed.

_But,_ he thought as he followed the younger Rabbit silently, _I think I know why he was hurting himself earlier._

Again, he said nothing. He knew Cator would simply deny it again.

Maybe the other Rabbit didn’t even recognize the destructive behavior for what it was. Maybe he had managed to convince himself it _was_ just an experiment. Somehow Bonnie wouldn’t be surprised, and briefly he wondered just what else Cator didn’t know.

He let the silence continue for a while, mulling over his thoughts and watching the Rabbit in front of him. Cator was small, not that that was any surprise; Lapinians in general were small, but what they lacked in strength and size they made up for in wits and _weapons._ However, Bonnie had never met a Lapinian _scientist_ before, only their soldiers; did all of their scientists look so small, so _young?_ And if so, why? Or was Bandi Cator yet another exception to the rule?

Then his gaze landed on the Rabbit’s hands. He frowned at the way the fingers seemed to unconsciously curl in on themselves. The teen hadn’t even attempted to care for or protect them, and now- _we’re not even going the right way._

Bonnie sighed, feeling only slightly irritated that he had chosen to follow rather than lead when he _knew_ a Lapinian wouldn’t be very good with directions. “The stream’s to the right, Cator,” he called up to the teen. The blue Rabbit’s ears twitched and Bonnie had a feeling that he did _not_ appreciate being called by his surname, if the way he huffed was any indication. However, he (surprisingly) followed Bonnie’s directions anyway, changing course to the right and towards the stream.

The trip to the stream was completely silent, and when they finally did reach the waterway neither of them said a word. Cator sat heavily on the ground next to the water and, as Bonnie sat several feet away to care for his own wounds, tore out a strip of his shirt. Bonnie observed, almost boredly, as the other Rabbit dipped the strip of cloth into the water, allowing it to take as much of the dirt it could.

Bonnie turned to the water and began cleaning his own wounds, watching as the dirt and scant amount of blood washed away and dissipated in the water. It was somewhat fascinating; no hint of it remained, the water going clear within seconds of the foreign substance being added. It didn’t do that on Lacatra; any pollution added to the rivers had to be removed manually, including minerals and blood. That was _not_ easily done, especially since the water dilated it. In fact, it was next to impossible. That was why they couldn’t drink the water straight from the river; in Lacatra, rainwater and boiling river water were the only safe ways to have water to drink.

_I bet the original colonists would have loved knowing, but no one bothered to check, did they?_

Realizing he was getting off track, Bonnie turned his gaze and his attention back to his wounds.

After a few moments, he decided the scrapes didn’t warrant bandaging- which was good, because he really didn’t want to rip his shirt. Clothes weren’t easy to make on Lacatra and they certainly weren’t provided, so unnecessarily tearing them apart wasn’t a pleasant thought to the purple Rabbit. It-

“Music."

It was said so suddenly, so flatly, so _quietly_ that Bonnie almost missed it. Blinking, he looked towards the blue Rabbit, who was at that moment wrapping his hands up again. “Huh?”

“I just want to play music,” the Lapinian muttered, not looking up to meet his gaze. “It’s the only thing I liked on Lapinia.”

With that, the younger Rabbit stood up and began walking back towards camp. Bonnie watched him for a few silent seconds before he got up to follow. He didn’t need to question what the problem with _that_ was.

Even on Lacatra, they knew Lapinians didn’t _do_ art.

Briefly, he wondered how Cator even knew about music.

When they reached the camp, all three Bears were standing, and at the sight of them Spring leapt to his feet as well. The others in the camp were either sitting or lying down, but they all turned their attention to the approaching Rabbits.

“It’s about time!” Spring huffed, annoyed as he turned to Bonnie. “What took you- what the _hell_ happened?” His brother’s tone abruptly took on worry the moment he actually _looked_ at them, with their clothes dirty and ruined and their fur messy. Plus the scratches on Cator’s face didn’t help.

It occurred to Bonnie that they were quite a sight to see at that moment.

“I’d like to know that, too,” Freddy voiced, eying Cator’s cheek. When he glanced at Bonnie, there was accusation in his blue eyes.

Bonnie crossed his arms, frowning at Freddy. “Oh, y'know, we just took a leisurely stroll through a death trap forest and almost got ourselves killed multiple times in a row, that’s all,” he drawled sarcastically, ears twitching as Cator snorted from beside him.

_“What?_ ”

“I slipped off a drop-off,” Cator deadpanned. “And instead of climbing back up I went to explore. Long story short, it was the collapsed roof of a flooded cave system and the trees growing on top had no grip, holes were everywhere, and, oh, by the way, the wind can get _really strong and knock trees over, how fun!_ Take a guess at what happened,” he muttered the last part. His words actually surprised Bonnie- and not just because the younger Rabbit was being sarcastic.

Not that he didn’t know the Rabbit could be sarcastic, he’d showed _that_ plenty of times, but he hadn’t expected Cator to act sarcastically towards _Freddy._ It had seemed like Cator respected Freddy.

“Okay,” Bonnie sighed, glancing at Cator with a slight frown, “I was _not_ aware of the flooded cave system thing.”

“And now you are,” Cator snorted. Bonnie didn’t get a chance to respond.

“How’d you even figure all of that out, Blu?” Fredric questioned, raising a brow at the blue Rabbit.

_Blu?_

Cator looked at the rosy bear and just shrugged. “I noted my surroundings,” he explained vaguely. “Just... y’know, looked around. Put the pieces together. A seemingly-bottomless pond, three-inch layer of soil being held together by grass over stone, fallen trees, a stone wall that extended far as I could see, and holes in the ground with condensation on the walls and water at the bottom. I just feel like an idiot for not realizing sooner.”

Bonnie decided not to point out he himself hadn’t realized at all, not until that moment as Cator was telling them.

“And your face...?” Fredric trailed, and Bonnie could tell he was trying _so hard_ to _not_ jump to conclusions. Bonnie wondered how the Bear would have reacted if Bonnie told them about the Rabbit’s earlier “experiment.”

He didn’t like the imagined reaction.

“I got smacked by a tree when it almost landed on me,” Cator muttered with a dismissive wave of his hand. Bonnie didn’t miss the way Fredric eyed it, clearly noticing that it was a different bandage.

“So wait,” Spring started, glancing between the blue and purple Rabbits. Irritatingly enough, he sounded somewhat _amused._ “You two nearly got killed by trees and _holes?”_

“Spring, I swear, if you make a joke out of this I will strangle you in your sleep,” Bonnie immediately threatened, eying his brother.

“Fine, I won’t make a joke- but what’s the problem with water? I mean, couldn’t you have just waited it out in one of the holes or something?”

Bonnie blinked and frowned at his brother. It _was_ a viable option, but really, who _knew_ what was in the water? “I don’t fancy breathing in water vapour, Spring. I _also_ don’t like the thought of a tree landing over the hole and getting trapped, y’know.”

“Point,” Spring conceded with a shrug.

“Well,” Fredric started with a sigh, “I guess that means it’s a good thing Blu was looking for answers.”

“What?” Bonnie questioned, raising a brow. He had a feeling he knew where the Bear was going.

“If he had done what you said and _didn’t_ look for the answer, then he wouldn’t have realized what was happening until it was too late.”

He had a point. He had a point and Bonnie hated it because he couldn’t say anything against it. Unable to think of anything to say, he just scowled and rolled his eyes, and that was the end of it.

Neither of them mentioned what Cator was doing when Bonnie found him. Neither of them mentioned Cator leveraging the tree, either, or mentioned them falling into the hole.

Instead, the younger Rabbit let out a sigh and just said, “I’m just gonna go sit down, if you’ll excuse me.” Before any of them could protest, though none of them were going to, the blue Rabbit walked over to a tree and sat down, leaning against it and drawing his knees up to his chest. Bonnie watched as the Rabbit leaned his forehead against his knees, his hands curling against his chest and out of sight.

_He’s in pain._

That was the simple fact of it; the teen was in pain. There was nothing Bonnie could do, so instead he turned to his brother and said, “Spring, you and I need to talk.” It was true; they _did_ need to talk. He needed to tell him what he had figured out- needed to tell him everything that happened.

Spring looked at him, raising a brow. “About what?” he questioned, clearly confused.

Aware of their audience, Bonnie added, “Privately.” Without waiting for a response, he grabbed his younger brother’s arm and dragged him away, ignoring Freddy’s call to _not_ go off on their own.

Bonnie had yet to figure out a way past the... “translation program” in their heads. Any time he even _tried_ to speak Lacatran it came out in English, and it frustrated him to no end to hear the words that he could yet could not understand in place of his (in his mind) much smoother mother tongue.

As he dragged his brother away from the camp, he failed to notice the shadow watching them.

* * *

“Ooh, what’s this...”

“An interesting new development.”

“Two, in fact. I wonder- did the Winds soften the Lacatran? Or was it the Lapinian’s confessions afterwards?”

“Who knows. What I’m more interested in is their... guest.”

“I wonder what it’s after? Why is it here?”

“Does it know what’s going on? Will it interfere?”

“That is definitely a concern to have, Shafred...”

“Perhaps we’ll get more out of this experiment than we first anticipated.”

“Perhaps we will. Let us check on the others, and then we can return to these on the morrow. If their guest is going to act, I doubt it will act while we are watching. Undoubtedly it knows we are here- its kind are _much_ too intelligent to not know our presence.”

“Quite right you are, Bonsha. Let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heheheheheh... So Bonnie's realized he jumped the gun with judging Blu, and he gets a little insight into REAL Lapinian life and who Blu is despite it, not just what he's perceived. They're not friends (yet), but this IS the turning point.
> 
> You'll never guess what happens next. Okay, you might, but y'know ;)
> 
> Also, virtual cookie if you notice what I did in this chapter.


	8. Something Watches

_Sitting there with his head against his knees, his hands curled up to his chest, Blu wasn’t quite sure what to think. The forest around him was quiet and the fire was burning, casting a warm glow over everything and chasing the shadows away, but Blu couldn’t bring himself to enjoy the peace of the night._

_Everyone was asleep. Blu wasn’t sure how long they’d been asleep- he’d lost track of time a while ago, his head swimming and stomach churning- but they were. All but himself._

_A glance up to where Red was lying, not too far from where Blu sat against the tree, showed the rosy Bear fast asleep, perfectly at peace in the outdoors. Nearby, the Bear twins slept side by side, though it didn’t appear that either of them were sleeping deeply; probably a snap of a twig would wake them. The Chickens and the pink and white Fox seemed to congregate together while keeping a proper distance, both of the females lying on their backs and the Fox curled up. Off by himself the red Fox could easily have been mistaken for dead if it weren’t for his twitching ears and tail, lying on his stomach with his arms cushioning his chin. The Humans both shifted in their sleep, the lighter-haired Jeremy actually turning over to hide his face from the firelight._

_Blu’s eyes landed on the Lacatran brothers across the camp. Both of them were asleep, as Blu knew they would be, and like Red they seemed perfectly at ease. The purple Rabbit was sitting against a tree as well, though his head was leaning on his brother’s on his shoulder; clearly they had no qualms whatsoever about using one another as pillows._

_It was strange, seeing the aggressive Animals sleeping so peacefully- so quietly, their expressions soft and loose._

_For a moment Blu envied them, but then he sighed and dropped his head back down. Envy would get him nowhere, after all._

_His hands felt numb and his cheek was stinging, and he simply couldn’t ignore it. How ironic, he mused, that that had been his goal just earlier that day; produce a pain that he couldn’t ignore._

_At that moment, he would take running through a forest of collapsing trees and floors with the purple Lacatran over the pain he was feeling right then._

_Knowing he would get no sleep, he slowly sat up and uncurled his fingers to look at his hands. The makeshift bandages were spotty with both blood and mud. For a moment he felt a wave of revulsion- the brown tainting the red, making a disgusting colour that he just didn’t know how to describe- but it faded quickly into a dull worry; he could barely even move his fingers._

_He was afraid he would lose them, and then he would never play his Chaska again._

_With a soft sigh, Blu closed his eyes and let his head fall against the tree. He listened to the fire crackle, the soft breathing and murmurings of his companions, the soft snores of Mike... it was peaceful, unusual, completely new and foreign to the blue Rabbit, but it wasn’t all that bothersome really. It was almost... welcome. For once, he didn’t feel completely alone._

_It was nice... right up until a breeze ran through his fur and something clamped over his mouth._

_Green eyes flew open, wide as terror flooded his system; he could feel three long, bony fingers pressing against his cheek and a flat, rough palm against his lips. He tried to jerk away, tried to cry out-_ anything _to get away- but as he moved away from the tree the..._ whatever _it was looped its other arm around his abdomen, its grip firm as it pulled at him. He couldn’t make a sound, even in his throat, so in a moment of desperation he kicked his legs out, digging his feet into the dirt as well as he could, and reached out to grab at the ground._

_However, as he felt himself being pulled away, his sight faded to black... and he understood why he couldn’t make a sound._

_Whatever had grabbed him had already subdued him before it ever reached out._

* * *

The morning light streaming through the canopy landed on the golden Rabbit’s face, prompting him to blink his silvery-green eyes open. Around him he could hear the other Animals shifting, and next to him his brother groaned a complaint as Spring sat up and stretched.

His ears twitched at the sound of his back popping, and with a soft sigh he glanced around the camp.

It wasn’t quite a clearing, really, but it was close enough for his tastes. Jeremy had sat up, the hair on his head a total wreck, and was staring blankly across at the Bear twins, both of whom seemed wide awake already and were talking quietly to one another.

“Ugh,” Bonnie huffed beside him, “if anything we need to make a shelter to block out the sun...”

“C’mon, Bonnie, not everyone’s lazy,” Spring shot back with a smug grin, standing up to his feet. The Chickens seemed to have woken up a while ago, both of them just returning to camp with buckets of water in their hands- _what are they doing with that?-_ while the white and pink Fox buried their head in the grass, refusing to let the sunlight rouse them. Mike and Foxy both seemed completely unfazed by the light.

_Something’s... missing,_ he noted, watching the Bear colonist rub the sleep out of his eyes. He let his gaze scan over the rest of the camp, looking for whatever seemed out of place. Something... obvious. _Something important._

“Where the fuck is that Rabbit.”

It was a flat and irritated not-quite-question, and Spring glanced over at his brother before following his gaze to the other side of the campsite. Bonnie’s red eyes were on the tree that the Lapinian had been leaning against just the night before, and Spring frowned as he realized that the Rabbit was nowhere to be seen.

“That’s the question of the morning,” Fredric sighed, looking over towards the tree, highly unimpressed and somewhat worried. “He’s always running off...”

“I’m beginning to notice a pattern,” the golden Bear added with a frown. “The most ill-equipped at survival is the one who keeps going off on his own.”

“He probably doesn’t have any sense of self preservation; he _is_ Lapinian, he’s never exactly been somewhere like this...” Spring muttered to Bonnie, too quietly for the Bears to hear.

“Chica, Chii,” Freddy called to the Chickens, “did you happen to see Bandi this morning?”

The Chickens shared a look before shaking their heads. “He was gone when I woke up an hour or two ago,” Chii informed the brown Bear, lightly kicking her foot against the ground. “I just assumed he had gone off to take a bath or something, his fur was really messy after all...”

“Well,” Spring sighed in irritation, making his way over to the tree, “might as well hunt him down before...”

His voice died in his throat and he stopped short, staring at the grass. It was in disarray, as though there had been a short struggle in the soft soil, and some of the grass had been completely ripped up as if someone had been grabbing at it for purchase. No footprints, except those of the Rabbit walking _to_ the tree the day before, were visible. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what had happened.

The Lapinian hadn’t walked off; he was _taken._

“Yeah, I guess,” Bonnie agreed, annoyance clear in his voice. “But I’m done chasing that Rabbit around, he-”

“Freddy,” Spring suddenly called, eyes still on the grass and not concerned at all about cutting his brother’s complaints off. “Come here.”

Confused, the brown Bear, along with his own golden brother, approached. “What is it, Spring?”

“Look.”

He knew they did as told when Goldie took in a sharp breath. “Oh.”

“Yeah. Looks like he was right about one thing; we definitely aren’t alone here,” Spring deadpanned, glancing over his shoulder towards his brother. Bonnie was on his feet and walking over to them now, brows drawn together in confusion.

“What?” Bonnie questioned, coming up next to Spring. He eyed the grass, his displeased frown slipping off. “Oh. Well fuck.”

“How about,” Fredric suddenly spoke up, irritation seeping into his voice, “instead of standing here and gawking we _try to find him?”_

“He’s probably dead,” Spring muttered with a careless shrug, ignoring the way the Bears and even his brother looked at him. With a sigh, Spring defended, “Come on, he was injured and whatever took him got him in the middle of the night more than a few hours ago, _and_ it left no trail.”

_“Actually, Spring, I don’t think he’s much of a threat... ah, he actually kinda... saved me, I guess? Granted, he was the reason we were there in the first place, but...”_

He actually hoped the Lapinian wasn’t dead. He wanted answers about that- about why a _Lapinian_ would help or save a _Lacatran_ , or how the Lapinian managed to convince Bonnie, of all people, that he wasn’t a threat.

_Especially_ the son of the General Commander.

“Well, there’s no signs yet that he’s dead,” Freddy sighed, clearly irritated with Spring. “But we can’t have everyone looking for him, we won’t get anything done.”

“I’ll search for him,” Fredric immediately volunteered.

“Actually,” Goldie started, “Fredric, Bonnie, and Spring probably have the best tracking skills out of all of us, being colonists- no offense but it’s just facts,” he immediately added towards said colonists.

“Why would the truth offend us?” Bonnie snorted, crossing his arms. Spring rolled his eyes. “We already knew that anyway, and we take pride in that.”

“What you’re suggesting is us three search for him,” Spring guessed, raising a brow at the Ursian. Goldie looked right back at him, not at all intimidated by Spring’s light hostility.

“It’ll be the fastest way,” he answered simply. Spring couldn’t exactly argue that either.

“I can go with them,” Mangle suddenly spoke up, apparently having sensed the tense air between them. Spring wasn’t even sure when the Fox had finally gotten up. “Y’know, to keep the Rabbits and Bear from fighting.”

Oh yeah, it was no secret that Fredric did _not_ like the Lacatrans. He had made that clear when he rounded on Spring and gave him the dressing down of his life with no regard to the audience, and the Ursians had simply let him. A similar lecture had been given to Bonnie later and both Rabbits agreed that they did _not_ want to get on the Ardrawn’s radar again.

_That little Bear can be scary as_ hell _when he wants to be._

Goldie nodded slightly. “Yeah, good idea... if you find him, just come get Freddy,” he added, glancing towards his brother. Freddy frowned slightly at him but didn’t protest or contradict his words.

“Right, right,” Spring agreed half-heartedly, looking back at the mussed grass. “But it’s hard to track something that left no tracks.”

“Nonsense, everything leaves a track,” Fredric dismissed, walking around to the other side of the tree. “You just have to look for it.”

Spring shared a look with his brother. “Well yeah, but there’s no _clear_ track.”

One of the bears clapped him on the shoulder, causing the golden rabbit to stumble. “That’s why you three are doin’ it,” Goldie declared brightly before walking away. Spring grumbled and rubbed his shoulder, ignoring Bonnie’s snickers.

“I’ll come with you guys, too,” Jeremy offered, standing up from his spot finally. “I’m not much in the tracking department but my dad took me hunting a few times.”

“Join the party,” Bonnie shrugged, walking around the tree as well. Spring followed, eying the ground. Fredric was kneeling down, running his fingers through the grass. “Find anything, fellow colonist?”

“Actually, yes, yes I did. It’s under the grass.”

Frowning, Spring knelt down to look, pushing the grass aside. He was careful not to rip the grass out and ruin whatever track was there. It took him a moment, but he found that Fredric was right; there _was_ a track. However, it was unlike anything Spring had ever seen in his life.

“Was this thing walking on pegs or something?” he snorted, observing the deep stab-like markings in the ground.

“Probably shouldn’t make fun of it,” Mangle warned, eying the ground warily. “Peg legs or not, it was clearly strong enough to cart off the bunny.”

Spring paused and looked up at Bonnie, was was looking at the fox with confusion. “... Did you really just call him a bunny?”

“Yes, I did, and if you don’t like that you can suck it. He’s small, cute, and fluffy; therefore he is a bunny.”

“The Easter bunny,” Jeremy tossed in, but it held no significance to Spring so he dismissed it.

“Cute and fluffy isn’t exactly how I would describe a Lapinian,” the golden Rabbit muttered, straightening up. “But small is a big keyword there, Mangle. Carrying a Lapinian off wouldn’t be a difficult feat.”

“But to carry someone off in the middle of the night without making a single sound or waking anyone up _despite the fact_ that Blu was struggling is a huge warning sign,” Fredric stated, prompting Spring to look over at him. The Bear’s icy eyes were trained on the ground and he had started walking away- following the trail, Spring realized. “We don’t know what’s around us or what any... _natives_ might want, so it’s best to assume that whatever is happening right now is bad.”

“Basically, it’s best to assume that Bandi is in danger,” Jeremy summarized. Fredric frowned and looked up at Jeremy.

“Yes, it’s best to assume that _Blu_ is in danger.”

Why he kept emphasizing that word- name- whatever, Spring didn’t know. However, instead of questioning it, he sighed and went to follow the Bear.

None of them spoke, simply falling into step and walking after the Bear, whose attention was on the trail that had been left behind.

They ran into a snag, however, when the Bear just stopped. “What’s the hold up?” Mangle questioned worriedly, looking towards Fredric for explanation. Fredric frowned and looked back at them, looking both frustrated and confused. Glancing towards the ground, Spring had a feeling he knew exactly what the Ardrawn was about to say.

“It’s just... stopped.”

“Stopped?” Bonnie repeated.

“Yes, _stopped,”_ Fredric confirmed, irritation slipping into his voice. “As in, the trail ends here, in the middle of nothing.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Jeremy sighed, looking around. “They can’t have just disappeared, right?”

Spring and Bonnie shared a look, frowning. Spring could remember, distantly, watching a certain Lapinian soldier “disappear” into thin air. It wasn’t that uncommon, he knew; many societies had that technology.

“Could have,” Spring voiced, keeping his eyes on his brother. “Teleportation, or something like that. It’s common technology among the more advanced planets.”

Bonnie nodded slightly in agreement and they both looked back towards the Bear, Fox, and Human. “If the footprints just disappear, it’s safe to assume they have that technology.”

“But it’s kind of weird,” Spring started, crossing his arms. “The tracks aren’t Lapinian or Ursian, which are the only two groups with _that_ technology I can think of that would have any interest in getting the Lapinian off of this planet...”

“If it was either of them, they’d have taken the Ursians, too,” Bonnie added with a shrug, “so I suppose the top suspects are out.”

“Forgive us, but we’re colonists, we’re not very well versed in any other advanced societies,” Spring sighed, leaning his weight on his left leg and glancing towards the canopy above. He noted a distinct “hole” in the leaves. “Pretty sure there are those, ah... what were they called...”

“It doesn’t matter,” Fredric sighed. “We have an idea of _what_ happened, and we know it probably wasn’t a... local.”

“It kinda makes you think, doesn’t it?” Mangle hummed in thought, frowning around at all of them. “If someone with that kind of technology came in and grabbed Bandi, does that mean they’ve been watching us this whole time?”

“Or maybe they’re the ones who put us here,” Jeremy added quietly, causing the three colonists to pause.

“That... would explain a lot,” Fredric agreed unhappily. “It would certainly explain how all of us got here, and how we all speak this... uh... English language.”

“But what would be the point of that?”

None of them answered. Spring and Bonnie shared another uneasy look. “The longer we’re here, the more suspicious all of this seems,” his brother stated, turning to look at the others again. “I don’t like this.”

“Neither do I,” Spring seconded, huffing softly. “Should we go get the Ursians, tell them what’s happened?”

“Probably,” Jeremy nodded, frowning to himself. “I mean, this could be bad for _everyone,_ if we’re being watched.”

“Then let’s head back,” Mangle decided, straightening up. “The Bears are the most familiar with technology like this, anyway, maybe they’ll know some... I dunno, trick to find out who or what did it.”

“I highly doubt that,” Bonnie snorted, but Spring just shrugged. It wasn’t like they themselves knew how it even worked, who were they to say the Ursians couldn't figure something like that out? 

_Getting the Ursians would be best._

As the group of five turned to head back to the campsite, however, a loud _bang!_ sounded from their left, causing all of them to jump and look in that direction. Jeremy shifted uneasily; whatever had made the sound was on the other side of a thick growth of bushes, which looked more like fluffy trees if one were to ask Spring...

“Should we, uh... check that?” the Human questioned, glancing around at the more “primitive” beings. “What if...?”

With a shrug, Bonnie strode towards the bushes and began pushing his way through them. Spring wanted to lecture him about _safety,_ but his brother was gone before he could even open his mouth.

“Guess so,” Mangle answered, following after the purple Rabbit.

“My brother’s an idiot,” Spring deadpanned, choosing to walk _around_ the bush- he wasn’t about to get an alien rash just because he walked through a _bush,_ thank you very much. Apparently, Fredric and the Human agreed, as they followed him instead.

As they rounded the bush, carefully making their way through a gap between the bush and a tree, they found themselves just yards from the river. That was... strange. Spring was so sure they had been going _away_ from the river.

Looking around, he located his brother and the Fox. Both of them were looking around as well, clearly having not found the source of the sound. Quickly, the golden Rabbit made his way over to them.

“Yeah, brilliant move, walk through an alien bush,” he hissed to Bonnie the moment he was close enough. Bonnie barely gave him a glance.

“It was faster,” he stated simply. “I don’t see the source of the sound. Maybe it-”

“Blu!”

Blinking, Spring looked behind him to find the Bear dash into the water, heading towards the opposite bank. He followed the other colonist’s path with his eyes, allowing his gaze to land on something blue on the other side. From that distance he couldn’t make out what it was, but it _did_ look suspiciously like the colour of the Lapinian’s fur.

Jeremy and Mangle both were quick to follow the Bear, and Spring and Bonnie shared a look before moving to follow at a much slower pace. The moment his foot hit the water, Spring hissed.

“It’s _freezing,”_ he complained quietly to Bonnie, but Bonnie didn’t pay his complaint any mind. Spring huffed and followed his brother to the other side, letting his annoyance be clear.

However, when they reached the other side and were able to clearly see that yes, the mass of blue _was_ in fact the missing Lapinian, he let his annoyance at Bonnie drop in favour of annoyance at the Lapinian.

The Lapinian was still breathing. That was a good thing, Spring supposed. He was breathing and lying on his side, eyes closed and body relaxed. It looked like he was just asleep.

“Still have no idea what made that sound,” Bonnie pointed out as they watched Fredric try to rouse the unconscious Rabbit. “I mean, it couldn’t have been him.”

“I find it suspicious that he happened to be right _here,”_ Spring voiced, watching as the Lapinian’s eyes fluttered open. Something didn’t look right with them, though; the Lapinian shifted and turned his head to look at all of them. His eyes looked somewhat... dazed.

Fredric sighed. “Suspicious or not,” he started, pulling the Rabbit into a sitting position, “at least he’s alive.” The Bear began checking the Lapinian for injuries. “Where the hell have you been, Blu?”

The little blue Rabbit didn’t respond, instead looking around at all of them. Spring was starting to get the feeling that he had no idea what was going on at all.

“Hey,” Bonnie suddenly started, stepping towards the Lapinian. Spring glanced at him, noting the way his brow furrowed. “Ardrawn, his hands...”

The Bear blinked and looked towards the Rabbit’s hands, then he carefully grabbed his left wrist and lifted it, flipping it over so that the palm was facing up.

There was nothing there.

“The hell...?” Bonnie muttered, staring at that empty hand. Spring was just confused.

“What?” Mangle questioned, clearly as confused as Spring was.

Fredric lifted the Rabbit’s other hand, finding it was just as clear and empty as the other. “His hands were completely torn up yesterday,” Fredric explained distantly, looking at the Rabbit again. “Blu, what...?”

Blinking, the Rabbit looked at Fredric. “Red,” he muttered, as though just registering who it was in front of him. Why he called the Bear red, Spring had no idea. He looked more brown than red... “The nice porcelain guy helped,” he added. Spring and Bonnie looked at each other, each with a raised brow. _Porcelain guy?_ “I was scared at first but he was really nice. Took the pain away...”

“Is he on painkillers?” Jeremy muttered, kneeling down to look at the Lapinian. “He seems a bit... off.”

“To say the least,” Bonnie muttered, turning back to look at the Rabbit. “We should get back to the campsite. I don’t know what the fuck is going on but whatever it is I’m sure the assholes back there will want to know.”

“Agreed,” Mangle sighed. “Come on.”

Releasing one of the Rabbit’s wrists, Fredric pulled him to his feet. Almost immediately, the Lapinian overbalanced, and Fredric and Mangle both caught him. “Guess we’re acting as crutches, huh?” Mangle snorted, looping their arm around the Lapinian’s back. Fredric did the same, keeping a steadying hand on the Rabbit’s shoulder.

“Let’s just go.”

* * *

The sound of the door opening prompted both scientists to look up from the screen, frowning as a Human walked into the room.

“Dominic,” the Bear greeted, raising an inquiring brow at him. “To what do we owe the... pleasure?”

“I came to check the status of the experiment,” Dominic answered simply, eying the Bear and Rabbit.

Bonsha and Shafred shared a look. _We shouldn’t mention the unexpected development,_ Bonsha silently noted. Thankfully, his companion seemed to understand and agree.

“The experiment is going well,” Shafred answered after a few seconds of silent conversation. “They are working together rather well, though have been butting heads on a few... occasions.”

Dominic frowned and approached the screen. Bonsha subtly reached behind him and slid his finger around it, changing the view on the screen from the search party and the Lapinian over to the Avians searching for any sign of something to use as food. When the Human stopped and looked down at the screen, the Rabbit and Bear turned around to look as well.

“Are the Crystals Active?” Dominic inquired, glancing towards Bonsha.

“Of course not,” Bonsha answered, raising a brow. “None of them have entered the Caves, and we certainly have not activated them.”

“Activate them,” Dominic commanded. Bonsha and Shafred looked at each other. Although Bonsha would never admit it or let it show, he was... surprised. Shocked, even.

“Dominic,” Shafred started, looking back towards the Human. “Activating the Crystals may as well be signing their death warrants. You know what happened the last time they were Active.”

“The entire planet was wiped out,” Bonsha added unhelpfully, crossing his arms. “And those were the indigenous people who _knew_ how the planet worked. These subjects don’t stand a chance.”

“I’m sorry,” Dominic started, his voice practically dripping with venom, “but this is an experiment about _survival._ There are three colonists and two Ursians there, of course they’ll know how to make a shelter and survive off of the land.” Dominic turned his dead stare to Bonsha again, and Bonsha tensed up. He _hated_ when Dominic looked at him like that. “Give them something to survive. Activate the Crystals.”

“That’s interference in the experiment,” Shafred protested, scowling at the Human.

“No,” Dominic chuckled, turning to Shafred. Bonsha relaxed slightly, glad to have those eyes off of him. “It’s just controlling the variable. This is an experiment, Shafred; _we_ control the variables. And one of those variables is the Crystals. I’m heading this experiment, and I want them _Active._ Am I clear?”

What could either of them say? The Human had just pulled rank with them. Bonsha and Shafred glanced towards each other again, but they nodded slightly. “Of course,” Shafred confirmed, looking towards the screen again. “We’ll activate the Crystals at the earliest opportunity.”

“Good,” Dominic chuckled again, though his voice lacked any amusement. It was a chilling sound, but Bonsha didn’t dare let his unease show. “I’ll check in again in three days. The Crystals _better_ be Active,” he warned, turning on his heel and walking away. He paused at the door and glanced over his shoulder at them. “You know the price for insubordination.” Then he was gone and the doors _whooshed_ shut behind him.

Bonsha turned to the screen again, scowling and tense. “This was supposed to be observational,” he hissed, reaching to the screen and "pulling" it to the left, far away from the Avians and to the mouth of a cave. “It even states _observational_ in the documentation. We’re not supposed to interfere.”

“I know,” Shafred assured him, staring blankly at the screen. “But we have no choice. However... you know this now gives us loopholes.” Bonsha glanced at him with a raised brow, but Shafred didn’t expand on his words. Instead, the Bear said, “Hopefully their... _guest_ will be willing to help them. He remembers, after all.”

Bonsha looked back at the screen, frowning. “Yes,” he agreed, pressing his fingertips against the screen and fanning them out. It zoomed in on the mouth of the cave. “He remembers. He was there, after all.”

“He was willing to save the Lapinian’s hands.”

“I have a feeling, Shafred, that their guest knows more about this experiment than either you or I do.”

“You’re saying the Tepuppian foresaw this development.”

Bonsha looked up to find Shafred’s black eyes on him. The gaze was void of any emotion, and Bonsha silently struggled to be sure his own silver gaze was the same. He nodded simply and turned back to the screen, resting his hand on the screen’s edge. _There is no other answer, Shafred._

_Perhaps the ones who know the least about this is us._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What, you didn't think my Shadow Babs were bad guys, did you? Well, technically they're antagonists, but still- they don't like where this is going...
> 
> I wonder where this IS going. Oh who am I kidding, I already know ;)


	9. A Drugged Bunny Is Hard To Keep an Eye On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, I was really iffy about this chapter. It's mostly silly but it kinda ends on a really dark note... I was considering posting this chapter with the next but I don't have the chapter after ready so don't wanna risk having an entire month of unresolved conflict~ *pointedly ignores Lakeview Road which I AM still working on thank you very much*

Bonnie glanced in the direction of the three Bears, who were talking in suspiciously low voices. Whatever they were discussing, obviously the rest of them weren’t privy to it.

Sighing, he looked over towards his brother, who was simply lying on the grass and staring at the canopy above. Both Foxes and Chickens were gone, and the Humans were working on the “floor” that the Bears had set them to do. That left Bonnie and Spring to keep an eye on Cator.

Why they left the Lacatrans to do it, Bonnie had  _ no _ idea whatsoever. He glanced back towards the blue Rabbit, who had been muttering to himself in an unintelligible language for the last ten minutes or so. He was clearly completely out of it, so it wasn’t like they needed to worry about him walking off-

_ I stand corrected. _

He simply watched as the younger Rabbit suddenly leapt to his feet, stumbling slightly as he did so, and walked right past Bonnie’s brother. Spring lifted his head, watching Cator with a raised brow before looking to Bonnie. Bonnie just shrugged before turning to follow the Rabbit, sighing in annoyance. 

“Come back here, Cator,” he called, but the Rabbit gave no sign of hearing him; instead, he walked onwards, away from the campsite. Bonnie grew uneasy as he realized  _ where  _ the Rabbit was heading. “Seriously,” he muttered darkly, hurrying after the teen.

However, as they reached the small clearing where the vine was strung up, the Rabbit walked right past the vine and to the other side of the clearing. Bonnie paused, watching as he picked...  _ something  _ up. It was a vine strung up between two separate branches, which were tied together with another vine. He frowned, watching as the teen turned around and headed towards the strung-up vine.

“What are you doing,” he deadpanned, but as expected he got no response. Instead, the Rabbit began carefully...  _ carving _ the wood, removing sharp edges and knots. Bonnie didn’t like how close to the Rabbit’s fingers that vine got, so he walked over to the Rabbit and pulled him away. “Stop.”

Blinking, Cator looked up at him. His eyes looked rather distant and somewhat glazed. It was concerning on its own, but paired with everything else Bonnie now knew it spelled disaster. “Oh,” the Rabbit muttered, tilting his head at Bonnie. “Your eyes are red.”

“Er...” Bonnie glanced towards the edge of the clearing, where the golden Rabbit had stopped and crossed his arms, just watching them. “Yeah?”

“Red’s a nice colour.” Cator turned back towards the vine, trying half-heartedly to pull away from Bonnie’s grip and continue doing... whatever it was he was doing. “No one on Lapinia has red eyes. Only blue or green... or brown... or silver... never red or yellow...”

The Rabbit was rambling, he realized. He didn’t loosen his grip. “Drop the thing and just get back to the campsite, Cator,” he commanded, somewhat irritated. “You’re gonna hurt yourself  _ again _ out here.”

“I need to... to finish this,” Cator protested. “It’ll make Red’s job easier...”

“Finish it later, get back to camp, _ now,” _ he hissed, feeling  _ so _ done with the Rabbit right then. Cator suddenly stilled, his ears flattening and gaze dropping.

“Camp? We’re not on Lapinia,” the Rabbit muttered, clearly to himself, as he began turning the... thing over in his hands, his eyes firmly on it. “There are no camps here... can’t make me go...”

“For the love of-” he paused and looked over towards his brother, gesturing the golden Rabbit over. Spring rolled his eyes before approaching them. “Help me get this idiot back to the campsite. And don’t touch those vines, that’s what tore his hands up in the first place,” he added in a mutter, glancing back down at Cator.

“How’d a vine tear up his hands?” Spring questioned, grabbing the “tool” or whatever out of the blue Rabbit’s hands. Cator made a displeased sound, but he didn’t try to stop the golden Rabbit. “It’s a vine.”

“This planet’s weird,” was the only thing Bonnie could say, pushing Cator back towards the treeline to head back to the camp. “The river runs freezing on a hundred-degree day, wind can collapse trees, there’s apparently a gigantic underground cavern, and who know what the hell else there is about this planet, a vine that can double as a weapon shouldn’t be that much of a surprise.” Spring just shrugged and followed after Bonnie and Cator, looking at the crudely-carved tool.

“Was he trying to make a saw?” he asked, lightly tugging on the vine. He winced and quickly drew his hand back. “Okay,  _ that _ hurt.”

“I said don’t touch it,” Bonnie admonished, eying his brother’s finger. He could just barely see the blood beed through his fur. “Believe me now?”

“Well, now I think it’s definitely a saw,” Spring muttered, popping his finger in his mouth.

“Of course it’s a saw,” Cator mumbled distantly, staring around at the trees they passed. “It’s ridiculous to think a decent shelter big enough for everyone can be built out of the branches that’ve fallen... saw lets us control, uh, the uh... lengths and size... uh... what were we talking about again?”

Bonnie and Spring glanced at each other.  _ Totally out of it. _

“Everyone knows what a saw does, Cator,” Bonnie told him, directing him into the campsite. Freddy caught sight of them and raised a brow. Next to him, Fredric frowned over at them. Goldie seemed to have little concern; he was helping the Humans with the “floor” of the yet-to-be-built shelter. “I’m sure we know better than you do, anyway.”

“Probably,” the Rabbit conceded, blinking as Fredric walked over to them. 

Fredric caught sight of the makeshift saw in Spring’s hand and raised a brow at Cator. “You were over with those death vines again?” he questioned, clearly displeased by that. Bonnie frowned, wondering how exactly Fredric knew about those.

Then he remembered that the Bear had been the one to retrieve him that first day.

“It’s almost finished,” Cator muttered, his gaze slipping off to the side. “It’s gonna rain tonight, yeah?”

“Er...” They all shared a look. “We don’t know that,” Fredric answered, taking the Rabbit’s arm and leading him over to a tree to sit him down again. “Just... stay here.”

“The air is wet,” the Rabbit muttered, just barely loud enough for them to hear. “That means rain...”

“Perhaps,” Fredric allowed, straightening up. “We’ll see,” he added as he turned around.

“Red,” Cator started suddenly, watching Fredric head back towards Freddy. The Bear paused and looked back at the Rabbit. Bonnie couldn’t see his expression, but he did catch the slight head tilt, inviting Cator to continue speaking. “The porcelain guy... said... something about not... don’t go to the caves... and avoid the shadows when the moons are red...”

Bonnie shared a look with Spring, but neither really had anything they could say. His words made no sense to them.

“Right,” Fredric agreed slowly, obviously just as confused as they were. “I’ll... keep that in mind.” Then he headed back over to Freddy to continue their conversation. 

The blue Rabbit leaned back against the tree and closed his eyes, breathing in deeply. Bonnie exchanged a perturbed look with Spring; something really didn’t seem right about this- at all.

Figuring that the Rabbit had fallen asleep, Spring flopped back down into the grass, observing the strange saw-thing in his hands. “When did he make this, anyway?” he questioned, turning the tool over in his hands. He was careful to avoid the vines pulled tautly between.

Sitting down next to him, Bonnie shrugged. “I dunno,” he answered, plucking it out of his brother’s hands to look at it. He ran his fingers over the wood, noting the Rabbit hadn’t chipped the bark away from where the vines were tied off. “What concerns me is  _ how,” _ he added, tapping his finger against the bark where the vine was tied. “I don’t see how he could have tied this except-”

“-with his hands,” Spring finished and Bonnie nodded, frowning at the tool.

_ Actually, _ he noted,  _ something looks strange here. _ He stared at the wood but nothing stuck out to him, so he just shook his head and set it on the ground. “Whatever,” he sighed, “not our problem.”

“Whatever you say, brother.”

“Hey,” a voice suddenly interrupted and they turned to look over at Goldie. “If you’re done fetching a wandering Rabbit, one of you mind lending us a hand here?”

With a half-hearted shrug, Spring pushed himself up to his feet. “Yeah, sure,” he agreed, purposefully kicking Bonnie’s foot as he passed. Bonnie stuck his tongue but the golden Rabbit wasn’t watching him, instead dropping down next to the Bear and Humans to continue weaving the “floor” together.

Sighing, Bonnie turned to look at Cator again.

“Oh for  _ fuck’s sake,” _ he growled to himself, shoving himself to his feet.  _ He’s gone again! _

“I am so over this,” he complained, stalking over to the tree and glaring at the ground. The Rabbit’s footprints were deeper than usual and uneven, telling Bonnie that he definitely wasn’t steady. “Need to just tie him to the stupid tree,” he added, following the footprints into the woods beyond.

He almost laughed as the footprints led straight into a tree but he wasn’t happy in the least, so he just kept on going, ignoring the little things the drugged Rabbit had obviously stumbled into or over. There were strange, random pauses in the footprints, too, as though the Rabbit had paused to do something or other. He didn’t stop to try and figure out what those might have been, though.

What  _ did _ stop him was a sound.

Pausing, Bonnie looked around, ears twitching as he caught the sound of... an... instrument? He wasn’t sure, but Bonnie could have  _ sworn _ he’d just heard a Chaska. Deciding to investigate, the purple Rabbit headed in the direction that the tentative sound came from. As he got closer, he knew for  _ sure _ he heard something. Not quite a Chaska but... similar. It clearly had strings, but it wasn’t  _ quite  _ the right sound.

It wasn’t bad, though, and that  _ really _ got his attention.

He moved quietly and carefully towards the source, his ears twitching as he caught something else; a voice. It didn’t take a genius to realize  _ whose _ voice it was.

Satisfied that he had located the Rabbit, he headed forwards, but when he reached the clearing the Rabbit was in he paused. Cator sat in the middle of the clearing, a strangely rigged-up device in his hands that definitely resembled a Chaska.

_ Wait, when the  _ hell _ did he make that? _

Briefly, he thought about the strange stutters and pauses in the track.  _ Maybe those tracks up to the tree wasn’t a mistake after all... _

He didn’t dwell on it, however; he was sick and  _ tired _ of this Rabbit wandering off on his own, so he stepped forwards and approached Cator, scowling. However, before he even reached the Rabbit, Cator suddenly burst into giddy laughter and dropped down on his back, staring at the sky above.

“Ah, danno se,” the Rabbit muttered, closing his eyes. “Danno se tu rren kayo...”

He was speaking Lapinian, Bonnie realized. He had  _ no _ idea whatsoever what the Rabbit was saying, however, and he had absolutely no interest in dwelling on it. He stopped next to the Rabbit, leaning over and looking down at him. The shadow cast across the other Rabbit’s face must have clued Cator in that he wasn’t alone as he opened his eyes, staring blankly up towards him.

“The hell are you doing out here?” Bonnie asked flatly, staring down at the younger Rabbit. Cator tilted his head slightly.

“You know,” Cator suddenly started, “you’d look really nice if you smiled more. But that would make me a hypocrite, wouldn’t it?” He let out a sudden giggle and closed his eyes again. “Can’t tell someone else to smile when you can’t smile yourself...”

“Rabbit, you’re loopy,” Bonnie deadpanned. “Get up.”

“The sun is here.”

“Yeah, it’s daytime, I know. Get up.”

“No... the sun is here, not there,” he muttered, barely opening his left eye to look up at him. “It’s nicer here...”

“Cator,” he growled, “Get. Up.”

The Rabbit paused and squinted at him, as if trying to figure out who or what he was, and then he sighed. “Fine,” he grumbled, moving his makeshift-Chaska out of the way so he could push himself up. “One more person bossing me around, nothing new there...”

Bonnie crossed his arms impatiently, straightening up as he watched the Rabbit stumble to his feet. When he was on his feet again, Bonnie grabbed his arm and pulled him along back in the direction of the campsite. This time no one glanced at them as they returned; either they hadn’t noticed or they figured it was Cator just being Cator.

To say the least, Bonnie was incredibly unhappy as he forced Cator back to his tree. “Stay there this time,” he commanded, glaring at the Rabbit. Cator just rolled his eyes and settled back against the tree, fiddling with the Chaska again. Whatever he was on seemed to be wearing off; he was noticeably calmer.

Bonnie walked several feet away and dropped down, this time facing the flighty Rabbit.  _ This time I’ll make damn sure you keep your tail right there. _

* * *

“Hey, bro, wake up.”

Bonnie groaned and batted at his brother’s hand, turning over and burying his face in the grass.

“Brother, seriously, wake the fuck up.”

“No,” he grumbled. “Too early...”

“It’s mid-afternoon, Mr. Sentry.”

_ Huh? _

Blinking, Bonnie opened his eyes and peered blearily up at his brother. “Huh?”

Spring frowned at hm. “Bonnie,” he started, “when did you fall asleep?”

Bonnie fell silent.  _ Wait, I fell asleep? Oh hell- _

“Why didn’t you wake me earlier?!” he yelped, jerking up into a sitting position.  _ I wasn’t supposed to fall asleep! _

“I didn’t even know you were asleep!” Spring protested, holding his hands up defensively. “I was just asking so we could get a handle on when the Lapinian walked off again.”

Bonnie groaned and fell back into the grass, covering his eyes. “Spring, I am so  _ done _ chasing him around,” he complained.

“Yeah, you’ve said that multiple times since this morning,” Spring snorted. “The Bears are searching for him now. Either he got snatched or he figured out finally how to cover his tracks because we have  _ no _ clue where he went.”

“Dammit,” he groaned, pushing himself up again. “This is  _ seriously _ the last time I go out to drag him back here, got it?”

“I have a feeling that isn’t as true as either of us would like,” Spring snorted, helping his brother up off of the ground. “Fredric’s made it pretty damn clear if the Lapinian dies because of us, we’re toast- whatever _that_ means. I _believe_ it's a threat, though. I think those two are friends.”

“Or as close to friends as you can be after just two days,” Bonnie grumbled, dusting his pants off. “For the record, I didn’t even know I fell asleep.”

“I figured,” Spring sighed, glancing up towards the sky. “Good luck,” he added almost sarcastically as he headed out into the woods again. 

Bonnie growled to himself and stalked in a random direction.  _ I dunno, _ he thought,  _ the drug or whatever it was was wearing off last I remember. I thought it was, anyway... _

Choosing not to dwell on it, he made his way towards the river. He figured if the Rabbit got lost that would be the place he’d wander to- water was, generally speaking, safe, and he could easily just follow it until he was somewhere he recognized.

If he was even capable of recognizing forest landmarks, anyway.

When Bonnie reached the river, however, he found that the Rabbit was already there.

Frowning, he glanced down at the ground. There were no tracks... so  _ how _ did he get there? He glanced briefly at the branches above but he quickly dismissed the thought; there was no way a Rabbit from Lapinia could or would do  _ that... _

_ Whatever, _ he decided as he began approaching the Rabbit, but then the Rabbit did something... weird, to say the least.

He pulled his shirt off.

Bonnie paused, furrowing his brow at the action. Cator didn’t seem aware of his presence as he fiddled with the shirt in his hand, coming to a stop at a very noticeable stain on it. He heard the Rabbit heave a sigh and carefully fold the shirt over, then he...

Lowered it into the water.

Bonnie watched him scrub at the stain with his hands, knowing already that it wouldn’t work. Stains like that never came out, no matter how hard you scrubbed, and he wasn’t even doing it properly.

_Better than nothing,_ Bonnie supposed, raising a brow at the Rabbit. The fur that had previously been hidden by his shirt was just as blue as the rest of him (though Bonnie couldn’t tell from that distance, he thought there might be small splotches of paler blue near the small of his back) and not very well groomed. Of course, Bonnie couldn’t say anything on that latter part; all of them had been stuck on that planet for a couple nights, it wasn’t like they could-

Something wasn’t right.

He frowned, watching the smaller Rabbit as he tried to scrub the stain out. Something didn’t look right about his back to Bonnie. In fact, something looked downright  _ wrong. _

Slowly, he approached the Rabbit, his bare feet padding softly against the dirt and the grass. The Rabbit’s ears twitched and he knew that Cator knew that he was there; undoubtedly the Rabbit had heard his less-quiet approach. However, Cator didn’t so much as glance at him or question his presence.

Bonnie stopped right behind the younger Rabbit, frowning as he stared down at his back. The fur looked...  _ ruffled _ in ways that it shouldn’t have been, growing thick and almost  _ rough  _ around his shoulder blades and the base of his neck. Narrowing his eyes, Bonnie knelt down to get a closer look, staring intently at the fur.

The fur was in disarray, as though something was impeding it. It looked... suspicious, to say the least.

_ That fur is hiding something. _

“What are you doing, Lacatran?” Cator questioned boredly, not even looking towards him as he focused on the shirt in the water.

“Stay still,” Bonnie commanded, reaching forward to brush the fur back and look at whatever it was his fur what hiding. As soon as his hand made contact, however, the Rabbit jerked away with a startled, if not  _ frightened, _ yelp. 

Unfortunately for Cator, the direction he jerked was  _ forwards, _ sending him careening right into the shallow water.

Bonnie stared somewhat in shock as the Rabbit quickly pushed himself onto his knees, coughing up the water he had swallowed.

“What the _hell?”_ Cator almost shrieked, looking up at him from his place in the water. His eyes were wide but his jaw was set, tense. He looked a strange mixture of angry, embarrassed, and  _ scared. _ “Y-you don’t just touch someone like that!”

“Sorry,” Bonnie instinctively responded, frowning as the Rabbit pushed himself to his feet, the water dripping from his fur and pants. It occurred to Bonnie that the water was nearly freezing temperatures on a hot day- there was no way standing there soaking wet was good for the health.

Cator was no idiot, of course (despite what Bonnie and Spring would _like_ to think), and had already deduced that; he pulled himself back up onto the shore. He wasn’t holding his shirt anymore; when he had fallen in, his grip had loosened and the lazy current had taken it. 

“What were you even  _ doing?” _ Cator repeated, this time sounding  _ much _ more upset about Bonnie’s trespass. 

“Your fur,” he answered vaguely. Cator raised a brow at him, clearly indicating that that answer wasn’t good enough. “On your back. It doesn’t look right.”

Blinking, the blue Rabbit stared at him for several silent seconds, his expression morphing into disbelief and a cold anger. “You have no business in that,” he muttered, swiftly turning away to seek out the shirt in the water. The current wouldn’t have taken it far, after all.

However, as he turned around, Bonnie glanced towards the soaked fur. It was clinging together, showing random patches of the pinkish-tan skin beneath its blue. More importantly, though, it bared to the Lacatran the jagged scars of a knife.

The worst scars were on the Rabbit’s shoulder blades, but a glance over showed Bonnie that there were scars all over the teen’s back. Each scar that he could see was purposeful and not made with a skilled hand; clearly whoever had done it wasn’t really used to handling a knife.

Cator began hurrying down the bank, apparently having spotted his shirt. Bonnie didn’t follow. He stared at the spot the younger had been standing, thinking about everything he knew about the other Rabbit. About how he hated Lapinia, how he hated his  _ parents... _ and now, he couldn’t help but wonder... 

_ What did they do to him? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the record, Bonnie's first suspicions went straight to Blu's parents because you can't exactly self-inflict those kinds of wounds on your back. And he knows Blu hates his parents, so yeah. However, he does not get an explanation for them for a while now. That's a completely different pivotal moment.


	10. Campfire Conversation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess whose computer died :D
> 
> Guess who's updating this because I had a filler-ish chapter that literally just has talking and maybe like one important thing :D
> 
> Guess who is really mad because I have lost all of my art files and have no access to my schoolwork right now :D
> 
> Guess who just dropped $500 on a computer because my ancient-ass laptop can't run the necessary programs and such so I can do my online classes :D
> 
> So yeah. Painfully irritating for me, but y'all get another chapter already. Even if it's filler content. Explanation: I realized I had forgotten something I had said in the previous chapter so shit doesn't get real until NEXT chapter. Until then, enjoy this filler and my rage :'D

Glancing around, the black rabbit walked towards the cave. The violet bear was by his side, but part of him couldn’t help but feel nervous.

Knowing what happened in those woods... and knowing that they were about to unleash that horror again... Bonsha didn’t like it. However, he couldn’t voice his concerns; he was one of _them,_ he should have no concerns for the subjects on the planet’s surface.

That didn’t change the way he felt, though.

“This place has a very... eerie feel to it,” Shafred commented and Bonsha simply nodded in agreement as they stepped into the cave.

Not even ten yards inside the cavern was a dull grey crystal, sitting on a stone pedestal. It dwarfed the two Animals, standing at twice their height- which was impressive, considering Shafred was nearly seven feet tall.

Pale eyes scanning the surroundings, Bonsha quickly located a hole in the wall. It was small, almost too small for even a Lapinian to crawl into, but that was fine; Bonsha knew exactly what he had to do. The tight space wouldn’t bother him.

“There,” he pointed it out to his companion, and without waiting for a response he walked over to it. Inside the hole it was dark- pitch black, if one were to ask Bonsha- but he wasn’t afraid of shadows. With hardly any consideration, he climbed up into the hole and crawled through it. “I’ll be right back.”

“Right,” Shafred’s voice echoed through the narrow passage. Bonsha continued crawling through, resisting the urge to shudder as _things_ dripped on him and the rough stone cut through the knees of his pants and the palms of his hands. That was fine, though, he could deal.

Then the narrow tunnel came to an end and the walls were no longer brushing against his fur. Carefully standing to his feet, he glanced around the dark, dank cavern, wrinkling his nose as the scent of rot and decay hit him.

Swiftly pulling a small object from his pocket, he threw it up into the air and it lit up, reflecting off of the crystals on the ceiling. Red, blue, green, violet and silver shone down on him, but he didn’t let the colours distract him; in the center of the “room” was another crystal, this one much smaller- about waist height, he noticed- and pure white.

Taking a deep breath and instantly regretting it, he walked across the muck-covered ground and stopped directly in front of the white crystal. Its surface was smooth and unblemished- clearly not a natural phenomena.

 _And so history repeats itself,_ he thought forlornly as he pulled something else out of his pocket. Pressing a button, a beam shot out from it, stabilizing almost instantly; it was silver. Acting quickly, Bonsha placed the light against his palm, feeling its heat on his skin, and drew it along his palm- deep and painful, but that was alright. Immediately blood pooled out from the cut, and Bonsha simply turned his hand over, letting it fall onto the white crystal.

He watched as the blood ran down in small rivers, sinking into the crystal’s surface, and the red began to spread over and through the crystal. Releasing the button on the hilt, the blade of light dissipated and Bonsha headed for the passage again.

When the last spot of white was gone... well... the caves were the last place anyone wanted to be.

* * *

It did, in fact, rain that evening.

The water droplets falling from the sky were almost shockingly cold, and in the distance Blu could hear thunder rolling. He stared up curiously at the sky from his place in the clearing he had located before, finding it almost mesmerizing to watch the heavens above.

The clouds lit up, followed closely by the thunder. The water fell in sheets, soaking him through to the bone. He was freezing, but... it felt...

Different.

Exciting.

“Blu,” he heard Red hiss to him, grabbing his arm and yanking him to the relative safety of the trees. “You’ll get sick if you just stand out there.”

“It’s so cool,” Blu muttered, just barely loud enough for Red to hear. His eyes scanned over the soaked ground, watching the puddles reflect the darkening sky. He could feel the freezing water seep into his shoes, which were still wet from his tumble into the river just earlier. “Is it really allowed to just... fall where it wants?”

“It’s rain, Blu,” Red started, confusion lacing his tone. “It wants for nothing and is under no one’s control.” Carefully, he pulled Blu along with him towards the hastily-built shelter. Even under the thick canopy of the forest, the rain managed to drizzle down to them. Two concerned Bears and a Human were watching, waiting for them, from the temporary shelter.

“Not on my planet,” Blu sighed, his gaze firmly on the rain even as Red pushed him under the awning. “I’ve never seen it before...”

“You’ve never seen rain before?” Mike questioned, raising a brow at Blu. Glancing at the Human, Blu just shook his head before looking back out to the rain.

He was dimly aware of Red pushing him towards the fire pit, saying something about drying out.

“How?” This time one of the Foxes asked. “Even inside our domes we get rain...”

“Same,” the Chickens chorused. Blu didn’t bother looking at them as he answered.

“That’s because your cultures are agriculture based,” he told them, allowing Red to pull him down by the fire. “Your governments recognize that precipitation is necessary for all segments of society and devised a means to artificially recreate-”

“English, please,” Jeremy cut in, knowing very well that the unnecessarily long words would throw off the non-native speakers, translation program or not.

Rolling his eyes, Blu tore his gaze away from the rain falling outside to look at the fire. Over its crackling he could hear the droplets slamming into the wooden and leaf roof. “Basically,” he started, “even though you live in domes, you’re, uh... still dependent on farms.” _How the hell am I supposed to explain this?_ “Lapinia isn’t like that,” he finished lamely.

“Very informative,” the golden Lacatran snorted from where he lounged against his brother. Blu frowned. “Look, not even _Lapinians_ can be _completely_ separated from nature so I call-”

“Actually,” Freddy interrupted, glancing at the Lacatrans, “as someone who has actually _been_ to Lapinia, I can verify that they don’t have natural weather patterns. Nor do they have natural disasters nor natural wonders.”

“The most natural thing on Lapinia are the oxygen factories,” Goldie added with a laugh, “and even that’s not exactly... natural.”

“Oxygen factories?” Foxy parroted, raising a brow.

“And how do you not have natural weather?” Red muttered, obviously confused.

Blu mindlessly played with his wet fur, frowning. He didn’t want to talk about his planet, but it’d be rude to ignore their questions. It wasn’t like their questions would exactly be _harmful,_ anyway. It wasn't like they were asking about Lapinian traditions or culture...

“About six, maybe seven centuries ago a scientist figured out how to control atmospheric properties, and it was perfected four centuries ago,” he explained flatly, trying his best to keep annoyance out of his tone. He kept his eyes firmly on his fur. “The planet is completely covered in cities- even the oceans. There’s no forests or swamps or anything like that left and it occurred to my ancestors that _maybe_ they _really_ messed up when they remembered, _Oh! Trees make oxygen and we need that to breathe!_ But then, _oh! There’s no trees left on the entire damned planet so we’re gonna run out of oxygen!_ And so the factories were created using seeds,” he finished a little more harshly than he meant to. “They have their own artificial atmospheres and there are, hm, five, I believe, on the entire planet, and through means that are _too complicated for me to care about-”_

“We get it,” Goldie cut him off, even though they clearly didn’t. The young Rabbit’s tone had been steadily becoming harsher and angrier, though; it was best to cut him off before he worked himself up.

Blu let out a sharp breath he hadn’t even known he’d been holding. “And thus,” he deadpanned, glaring towards the Lacatrans, “no Lapinian in at least four hundred years has actually _experienced_ rain.”

“If that’s how you guys deal with weather I’d _hate_ to know how else you do things,” Mike snorted. Blu chose not to say anything to that, and the group fell into an awkward silence. The thunder, rain, and fire seemed to be the only things brave enough to fill the air with sound.

It was almost calming.

“You know,” Chii suddenly started, her tone chipper, “as long as we’re stuck here, and we’re around a campfire of sorts, and none of us exactly have anywhere else to go, why don’t we all get to know each other?”

“Eh?” Blinking, Blu turned his attention to Chii. “What do you mean?”

“Well, we know each others’ names, but we don’t even know each others’ interests or beliefs,” she explained. “Or their dreams. Or, you know... anything about each other. Family, friends- stuff like that...”

Another, more comfortable, silence fell around them. The Chicken was right, they knew- none of them really knew each other. It made things tense, awkward even, and on some level Blu realized that he had never _needed_ to “get to know” anyone before.

On Lapinia, all you needed to know was a person’s name, occupation, and in certain circumstances, their parentage. He had never once before needed to consider his colleagues’ or companions’ interests or desires.

_This is new._

“I think it’s a swell idea,” Freddy agreed, giving the fidgeting Chicken a gentle smile. “I think it would certainly give us more grounds for trusting one another.”

“Ya think?” Foxy snorted, yelping when the white and pink Fox next to him hit his arm. “What?”

“Alright then,” Mike agreed, leaning back on his hands and frowning in thought. “Who goes first?”

Another brief silence fell as they all glanced around, none wanting to presume. Blu turned his gaze to the fire, finally realizing just how cold he was as a shiver ran down his spine. His fur was heavy with water, and he started thinking that maybe Red was right about not standing in the rain...

“Who’s the oldest?” Chica suggested, glancing around at all of them. “I’m nineteen.”

“Same,” the Lacatrans chorused.

“Seventeen,” Freddy and Goldie informed them.

“Well, I be turnin’ twenty-one in a few moons,” Foxy put in, leaning on his hand.

As the others discussed their ages, Blu and Red shared a look before snorting. “No way are we in that debate,” Red commented to him, and he could only nod in agreement. “How old _are_ you anyway, Blu?” Red asked, voice much quieter now.

“Sixteen,” Blu answered in a mumble, glancing over towards the others. It seemed that it had been decided that Foxy was the eldest of them all.

“I’m almost sixteen,” Red put in, seeming almost surprised. “I thought you were younger than me.”

“Funny, I did too,” Blu admitted with an amused little grin. “But I’m not surprised. Lapinians always look young...”

If Red was going to respond, Foxy’s voice interfered, and both teens turned back to the one-of-few adults in their midst.

“Well,” Foxy started, glancing towards the roof, “I be an only child from the central southern sphere o’ New Vulpinia. I be in trainin’ to be one o’ them folks who goes out on the water an’ collects, ah... no English translation,” he laughed, leaning back. “Basically I’ll be a Seeker.”

“A Seeker?” Mike parrotted, sharing a look with Jeremy.

“Aye! Someone who leaves the domes,” he explained, shifting and glancing over them. “It’s real dangerous but someone has to do it. But anyway!” He seemed to be changing direction, Blu noticed. “Me mates ‘nd I like t’ volunteer at the dome’s theatre and sometimes we act ‘r sing fer the little orphan kids.”

“Aww, that’s so sweet~!” Chii giggled, smiling.

“So what about ye, mate?” Foxy directed, looking towards Mangle. The white fox seemed somewhat surprised to be addressed without warning, but they quickly composed themself, sitting up.

“Oh, me?” Mangle started, laughing somewhat awkwardly. “I’m a student. I live with my mother, father, and my older sister.” Blu raised a brow, watching as a strange expression crossed the fox’s face, but it was gone within a second.

Though he couldn't be sure, Blu thought it looked like disgust.

“I’m also from the northern west dome,” the Fox added, more for Foxy’s sake because Blu sure as hell didn’t understand it. “And I just generally walk around town, to be honest. Nothing... _else_ to do on the westside.”

“Why am I not surprised,” Foxy snorted, and Mangle chuckled as well. A glance around showed Blu that he wasn’t the only one who was confused. _It must be a cultural reference._

Mangle’s amber eyes trailed over to the Chickens and they raised a brow at Chica.

Understanding, the Chicken shrugged and answered, “I’m from the northernmost dome on Avia and I live with my mom and dad. And my aunt, too, but her husband and son died last year in the mines,” she added, and Chii visibly winced next to her. No one chose to ask. “I’m in... well, there’s no English translation for the word, it seems, but I’m in school studying environment. Um... my friends are a strange lot, they spend most of their time trying to find ways out of the dome so I’ve kinda been avoiding them, so lately I just stay home studying.”

“Your friends are _that_ sort, huh?” Chii questioned, raising a brow, and Chica simply nodded.

“I have no plans to get sent to the mines,” Chica stated matter-of-factly, “so I figured it’s best to just separate myself from them. Like hell I’m ruining my life.”

“Smart choice,” Chii agreed with a hum. Blu, again, chose not to ask.

In his mind, he thought of the camps. He didn’t need to ask.

“I live with my dad,” Chii told them, “in an equatorial eastern dome. I’m still in the government-mandated school system and I plan on becoming a baker and helping those who are in need.”

“Noble cause,” Freddy complemented and Chii smiled.

“It’s what my mother did,” she explained. “She was always my role model growing up, so...” She trailed off for a moment, a strange look crossing her face, before hastily looking to the darker-haired Human. “Mike, right?”

“Yeah,” Mike confirmed, leaning back. “There’s not really much about me,” he told them, frowning slightly in thought. “I turn twenty next year, I’m in college for an art degree, and I like going to new and different places and experiencing new cultures.”

“What about your family?” Jeremy asked, raising a brow.

“My parents are in Germany and my cousin, um... disappeared a few years back,” Mike explained hesitantly, lifting his hand up to the back of his neck. “Geez, I completely forgot... me just disappearing’s gonna destroy them...”

They allowed the silence to fall for a few seconds, but Mike was quick to turn his gaze to Jeremy. “What about you, huh?”

“Me?” Jeremy seemed almost surprised. “Ah... um... well, I live with my adoptive mother and father,” he started, ignoring the raise brows that got, “and I have no siblings, but I have two cats named Mili and Ali-Cal- stop laughing, Mike- and a dog named Snuffer- I said stop laughing!”

“Sorry,” Mike wheezed. Why he had just suddenly burst into laughter, Blu had no idea. “It’s just- _Ali-Cal and Snuffer?!”_

Jeremy threw a nut at Mike’s face- _when did those get there?-_ before continuing, “I’m studying engineering at a local tech school in my town, and I spend my weekends writing stories, poetry and music. Well, what about you guys?” He directed his gaze towards the Bear twins.

“Answer separately,” Bonnie tossed in, twirling a random stick between his fingers. _Where'd he get a stick? Oh, well- we're only in a forest, Blu, duh...  
_

Goldie stuck his tongue out while Freddy just chuckled and answered, “Well, we- I’m sorry, I am a student in my last year of Systematic Training. I’m actually training to become an Ursian ambassador. I live with my parents, my brother here, and three younger brothers who are all triplets-”

“They’re brats,” Goldie deadpanned, earning an elbow to the side from Freddy. “What?! It’s true!”

“As I was saying,” Freddy sighed, “in my free time I enjoy reading and singing. My friends all moved away so that’s irrelevant. Goldie?”

“Right,” Goldie agreed. “Basically, it’s the same exact thing up until free time. I mean, I like singing too, but I’m more partial to going out and, you know, having fun to staying inside and reading.”

“There’s nothing wrong with reading,” Freddy defended.

“Not for you,” Goldie countered, his gaze sliding over to the third Bear. “What about the little Bear Colonist?”

“If you call me that again you’ll find your face nailed to a tree in the morning,” Red threatened, though it just earned a laugh from the group while Goldie mock-pouted. Somehow, though, Blu had a feeling the threat wasn’t actually as empty as everyone else thought. “I live with my parents in the forest region of Ardraw,” Red continued, humming softly as he thought his words over. “I’m still in school, but my parents are encouraging me to become the village representative. It doesn’t appeal to me, to be honest.”

“Any siblings?” Mangle asked curiously, raising a brow. Apparently they had also caught the lack of “only child” in Red’s words.

There was a brief silence before Red simply said, “Nights on Ardraw are harsh.” Blu had a feeling he understood what that meant. “I prefer to keep to myself, read, and write when I can.” That was clearly the end of, as after finishing those final words Red glanced at Blu, raising a brow at him.

It took Blu a few moments to realize Red was signalling it was his turn, and it suddenly hit him that... he had no idea what to say.

Blinking, Blu looked at the fire. “Uh... I live with my parents in Capitol Square,” he muttered, unsure of what else to say. “Um... no siblings, no friends, no hobbies. I’m just a science student.”

“Liar,” Bonnie snorted, and immediately Blu’s eyes flew up to him. “You made a Chaska,” he accused. Blu furrowed his brow, confused.

“Uh... no I didn’t,” Blu protested, but the Lacatran’s brother simply pointed to a roughly familiar shape sitting against a tree. Blu couldn’t deny that it _was_ vaguely Chaska-like. _When did I do that?_ “... Oh.”

“Besides, you’ve already said you like music,” Bonnie added, rolling his eyes. “So how about you just stop with the clinical, clean answers and tell the damned truth.”

Blu felt like he should be offended- that Rabbit knew _nothing_ about him, after all, but from the way Red was looking at him, he seemed to agree.

But there was nothing _to_ say. He didn’t have any friends and his mother didn’t allow him to have any hobbies.

“There’s really nothing else,” Blu told them, feeling almost defeated- because he _wanted_ to believe that there was more. “I like music but I can’t call it a hobby, right before we came here my mother confiscated my, uh, instrument.” He didn’t want to use the word _Chaska,_ not when there were Lacatrans around and they _clearly_ pronounced it differently than what he had always thought. “Said it got in the way of my schoolwork, called it a disgusting primitive device and threatened to toss it out if I didn’t improve my school grades,” he added in a bitter mutter, looking away from the Lacatrans. “That’s literally all.”

“What about your father?” Chii questioned. “Surely he has-”

“No.” Quickly he looked back towards the Lacatrans, hoping he didn’t look as tense as he felt. His bones were freezing, and he had a feeling that it wasn’t from the rain anymore. “Well?”

Bonnie eyed him, his red eyes reflecting the firelight. Something in those eyes unnerved Blu, but he refused to back down.

It looked like Bonnie _knew_ something.

“My parents are dead and I live with Spring and our younger brother,” Bonnie answered finally, his eyes never leaving Blu’s. “I’m done with school and am training to become a village guard.”

 _He’s training to become a soldier,_ Blu understood. _He’s training to fight in the next rebellion._

_He’s training to get himself killed, is what he’s doing._

“And for the record,” Bonnie added, and Blu had a feeling he was talking directly to him, “I play the Chaska in my free time.” _Yeah, definitely talking to me._

As though he wanted to dispel the awkward, tense air that had erupted during Blu’s explanation and Bonnie’s subsequent... _Challenge? What is it, even?,_ the golden Lacatran started, “I take care of our little brother and care for the village elderly and disabled, with help from other village members of course.”

That was honestly surprising to Blu; he hadn't expected the Rabbit who threatened to kill him just moments after noticing his presence would be a caretaker. Apparently it was surprising to the others, too, as Blu saw more than a few brows raise at the new information. Bonnie just snorted, finally tearing his gaze from Blu to look around at everyone's surprised expressions.

“What?” he drawled, clearly amused as he leaned back on one hand. “Didn’t think my hotheaded, acts-before-he-thinks, somewhat-violently inclined brother could be a domestic housemaker?”

Spring promptly hit him upside the head, shouting, “I’m not a domestic housemaker, you  _chithk!"_ This, of course, immediately broke the tension between Lacatran and Lapinian, and the rest of the group started laughing as the two Colonists began arguing, very loudly, what defined a Lacatran “domestic housemaker.”

Blu didn’t really understand the term, to be honest, but apparently it was considered an insult on some level. Why, Blu wouldn’t know; he personally had to commend anyone who could properly care for a home and all of its inhabitants, with or without help.

Lacatrans, he reminded himself, were very different.

However, Blu couldn’t help but wonder if the argument was Spring’s endgoal. The golden Rabbit  _did_ look a little too satisfied to have just suffered an insult. _If it_ was _his goal,_ he noted silently to himself, shifting away from the fire and closer to the falling rain, _then he’s sneakier than I thought. And his brother fell right into the trap._

He closed his eyes, listening to the sudden influx of conversation around him and the dwindling argument between the brothers as each were drawn into a different conversation. No one tried to pull him into conversation, something for which he was glad. The people around him weren't all that bad, and he didn't want them to know just how...

Nevermind.

He listened to the rain falling on the roof and outside, hitting the trees and leaves and the grass-covered ground. He listened to the wind in the trees, the distant thunder, and the voices filling the air around him, allowing the sound to relax him and chase his darker thoughts and memories away- allowing him to live in that moment.

_Is this what it’s like to be normal? Is this what it’s like to be... not-Lapinian?_

He smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to emphasize the fact here that by the time Bonnie and Blu have any sort of romantic/physical interaction, Blu is NOT sixteen anymore. He'll be seventeen or eighteen, depending on which "interaction" you're looking for ;)
> 
> I would also like to say that, in case you didn't pick up on it, there's more than a few secret-keepers in this group. There is one common factor about ALL of them which plays an extremely important role later on in the story, and no one is mentioning their parts in it. You know Blu's, and Red's is hinted. Hint hint.
> 
> ALSO: don't mean to offend anyone who might identify as a housekeeper or "housemaker," but in a traditionally-tribal culture (like, in case you haven't picked up, Bonnie and Spring (and to a lesser degree, Red) are from) there tend to be really strong ideals about gender roles. There's nothing wrong with "domestic housemakers" as the Lacatrans call them; it's the context Bonnie's using it in that suggests insult. (AKA calling Spring a domestic housemaker is the equivalent of calling a guy "lady/ma'am." Sorry, it's just the culture they're from.)


	11. Dreams, Shadows, and Repeated History

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is where things get really interesting...
> 
> Mwahaha...

The rain had faded off with the sun, leaving the world in a misty chill and the ground a soggy mess. It made them all very glad for the makeshift floor they had so that they didn’t have to sleep on the cold, rain-soaked ground, but it didn’t really help Blu.

He couldn’t sleep.

All around him, he could hear the various _sounds_ of sleep; deep breathing, soft sighs, even an occasional snore from one of the humans. From right next to him he could hear Red mumbling every now and then. None of these were what kept him awake, though.

The fire was dwindling but one of the older Bears was tending to it; he could hear the movement from the direction of the Bear twins. The air was chilly and Blu knew that without the fire it would not be pleasant, though none of them would quite freeze to death. Maybe just catch a cold or worse.

_Who cares, we’re probably being exposed to a lot of diseases none of us have any immunity to anyway..._

He couldn’t sleep. He couldn’t shut his mind off, so instead he stared up at the canopy of leaves far above. _I wonder what the stars look like from here…_

The movement stilled as the fire strengthened, and Blu knew the twin who was awake was just watching it. There was nothing else for him to do. The night was silent.

Suddenly, Blu felt antsy. His heart suddenly picked up and his ears twitched; something wasn’t right. Abruptly, he pushed himself up and looked around; everything was in order.

The colonists were lying side by side and fast asleep. Mangle was lying near the only females of the group, curled up with their tail crossing over their waist. The two Chickens were both incredibly silent as they slept; Mike was snoring softly and Jeremy was tossing and turning, thankfully a fair distance from anyone else. Foxy was also curled up, much like Mangle was, and his ears kept twitching in his sleep, little grunts and soft growls escaping his throat. Sitting next to the fire, watching Blu with a raised brow, was the golden Bear twin, the brown Bear lying just behind him and breathing steadily. Right next to Blu, Red continued sleeping peacefully, obliviously.

Blu’s eyes scanned their surroundings, a strange churning in the pit of his stomach. _Am I panicking? Why?_ No, it didn’t feel like panic. He had felt that so many times before, this wasn’t it. It was...

_Fear?_

Something wasn’t right. A twig snapped. His ears automatically flicked towards it and he looked in that direction…

...and saw a shadow.

His eyes widened but he didn’t scream. The shadow was tall, pitch black, and staring straight at him. It had strange, glowing white eyes, and it simply _stared_ at him from the equally-black shadows.

 _This is familiar,_ he suddenly thought, just barely noticing it seemed to be wearing a mask. _Where have I seen this before..._

 _‘Bandi Cator,’_ the shadow- at least, he was _sure_ it was the shadow- rasped out at him as it began to reach towards him, its long, thin claws looking like death’s lover. _‘Do not follow the paths, they lead only to the end. Do not follow the paths, they lead only to the end…’_

Suddenly, as the claws came in contact with his forehead, images rushed into his mind; fire, water, tall spindly _things_ chasing what looked like strange humanoid creatures, blood, falling trees, collapsing ground, a storm, rain, wind...

A sharp, horrifying pain shot through his head and he gasped, closing his eyes and clutching at his ears. _It’s not real, it’s not real, it’s not real..._ He wasn’t sure if he was talking about the shadow, the images, or the pain at this point.

Maybe it was all three.

_A lake with no bottom, a hole at the base of a tree, two deep red moons, ruins of what looked like a city, primitive graves that had been all but destroyed, purple..._

Then his eyes opened and he found himself staring at the canopy.

The only sound around him was the crackling of the fire. He slowly sat up and looked around. It was still night but no one was there. Instead, red spilled across the ground in each of his companions’ spots, reflecting harshly in the firelight. His heart clenched and he took in a sharp breath.

The chilly air was replaced with a steadily growing heat and the darkness was chased away by red, flickering light, casting deep, shifting shadows in the forest around.

His eyes turned to the flames, wide-eyed, and watched as the fire steadily grew and fanned out. Its flames, once orange, had turned a deep red comparable to the blood staining the grass around, and they grew bigger and bigger, engulfing everything around.

Then... he wasn’t staring at a campfire.

Suddenly he was standing in the middle of a... a... _burning village._ All around him, strange creatures screamed and ran, and shots rang out and strange _creatures_ leapt from the shadows, attacking any living being which passed without discretion.

The Rabbit watched in horror as a mother and child were ripped to shreds in seconds flat, crimson spilling across the grass as though it was nothing more than coloured water. Screams filled his ears- nay, his _mind-_ and he closed his eyes tightly, trying to drown out the sight of gruesome death and destruction.

When he opened them again, he was in the middle of a city; a strange fleet of midnight-black ships flew overhead, white lazer-like beams lighting up the sky on their way down. The beams hit the buildings and roads, obliterating everything- _vaporizing people._ In his confusion, it took him a few moments to comprehend what he was seeing.

Around him, Rabbits ran and chrome-coloured buildings shattered, vehicles exploded and bridges collapsed...

_This is Capital Square._

_This is Lapinia._

The screams echoed in his mind as people fled and died, only getting louder and louder and _louder_ until, suddenly, he realized... that they were _his_ screams.

 _He_ was screaming.

His eyes suddenly flew open to find the three Bears leaning over him, Red’s hands on his shoulders and the twins holding his arms.

Abruptly, the screams cut off and he stared, shocked, up towards the Bears.

“What the hell?!” an angry, startled, slightly scared voice demanded, but Blu didn’t look to see who its owner was. He just stared blankly at the three Bears.

Because it looked like the Bears were all covered in _blood._

As the hands released him and Blu shoved himself up off of the ground where he had, unknowingly, been thrashing around, he looked around with wide eyes. Everyone was awake and staring at him, eyes equally wide or oppositely narrowed, but they were _all_ covered in deep red blood and the fire seemed to reflect it, burning an even deeper crimson as it danced in its pit.

The red didn’t look so beautiful right then. It looked... threatening.

Like death.

The forest around them hummed in the wind and it sounded like mocking laughter to him. Shadows hung around at the edge of the clearing, shifting around like living creatures, leering out at him threateningly and-

_Wait, clearing? We weren’t in a clearing...!_

And his eyes flew open yet again. This time when the three Bears came into view they were _not_ covered in blood, but his own heart was racing and the fur on his face was matted and _am I crying?_

“Blu?” Red questioned worriedly, carefully removing his hands from his shoulders. Blu blinked and looked at him as the twins removed their own hands from his arms. Pushing himself into a sitting position, he looked around.

Everyone was awake and watching him with either wide or narrowed eyes, but they weren’t covered in blood and the fire was rightfully orange; the only hint of red was the Lacatran’s eyes.

Blu almost sighed in relief, but he wasn’t relieved. At all. _What just happened?_

He turned back to Red and the other two Bears. “W-what happened...?” he asked before falling into a coughing fit.

His throat felt like it was on _fire._ His head didn’t feel much better; it seemed to be pulsing, pain traveling back from the center of his forehead. _Right where the shadow touched me._

“You were sitting there and staring into the shadows,” the golden bear started, “and then you just dropped down like you died or something. And then you started _screaming.”_

Blu blinked, frowning. _So... the shadow was..._ real...? _But... I need... to... check..._

Abruptly, he shoved Red out of the way and stood up. His limbs felt shaky at best but he had to _know._

“What are you doing, Blu?” Red demanded as the Rabbit stumbled and ran out into the darkness. “Blu!”

Blu didn’t stop. He had to _know._ Somehow, through the darkness, he knew _exactly_ where he was going. _Turn left here._ It didn’t sound like _his_ voice- it was like something whispering in his ear- but he followed it anyway; this voice knew something and it was oddly... familiar.

For some reason, he felt like he could trust it.

He could hear footsteps behind him, chasing him, but he paid them no mind. Instead, he looked around wildly and ran left, not even pausing to try and determine his location; he just followed the directions being whispered in his mind. He kept running until-

His foot hit stone.

The Rabbit abruptly stopped and stared down at his feet before looking left and then right again. The stone extended on, on, on, but it was _wrong wrong wrong._

 _‘Don’t follow the paths,’_ that voice whispered in his ear again, and a sudden agonizing spike of pain shot through his head and right down his spine. Blu dropped down onto his knees and clutched his head, forcing his eyes to stay open as the images of _blood, death, destruction, shadows, creatures, ends, ships, lazers_ flashed through his mind, each image accompanied by its own spike of pain.

_Is it real? What’s going on? Why am I..._

When he woke up next, the sun was filtering through the trees. His head was in agonizing pain, more painful than his hands had been the days before, and his throat felt like he had been force-fed acid.

Slowly, he pushed himself up and looked around. Red was nearby; it looked like he was putting something together, securing it with a rope-like vine. On the other side of the clearing, the other Rabbits and Mangle were setting down wood that was much too large to be for a fire, and Goldie was talking to Chica.

Freddy, Foxy, Chii, Mike, and Jeremy were absent.

Blu tried to speak but nothing came out but a cough. Red’s ears perked and he looked at Blu, frowning and setting aside whatever it was he was doing in favour of approaching the Rabbit.

“Blu?” Red questioned gently, kneeling down next to him. “Are you feeling alright?”

“Please tell me last night was in my head,” he managed between his coughs.

“Afraid not,” Red sighed, sitting down. “You scared most of us out of our skins, you know.”

“Sorry,” he responded automatically, guiltily, lowering his head and flattening his ears. “I didn’t mean to.” His voice was raspy and it reminded him that he had probably hurt his throat. _Oh joy..._

Red tilted his head slightly. “Come on, let’s go to the stream and get you some water. You’re not easy to understand right now.”

Blu just nodded slightly and pushed himself to his feet. The lightheaded rush made him feel somewhat sick but he pushed it aside in favour of following the Bear. He pointedly ignored the way the colonists and Mangle looked at him.

The walk was silent, Blu concentrating on keeping his breathing steady rather than on conversation. As they walked, though, he noticed...  _something_ was strange with the world around him. It seemed... off-colour. Less green, less brown, less  _alive,_ and somehow even more silent than before. The steady crunch of-  _what is that, frozen rainwater? The grass?-_ whatever it was under their feet was the only sound, but somehow it seemed so much more suffocating than it had just a day ago.

 _You're paranoid. From those... what_ were _those anyway? That's_ never _happened before..._

When they finally reached the stream, he sat down heavily and held his head in his hands. _I don’t feel alright._

“At least drink some water before you collapse or something,” Red sighed, lightly shaking his shoulder.

“Sorry,” Blu repeated, letting his hands drop from his face. Red was holding something out to him and the Rabbit blinked owlishly at it.

“We’re improvising,” Red explained simply, pressing the crude wooden “bowl” into Blu’s hands.

“Thanks, Red,” he sighed, turning to look at the waterway. He hadn’t really _looked_ at it when he was there the first time, having been too concentrated on his hands and his shirt at the times he'd been there, but now he had time to really _look._

It was very wide and the sun reflecting off of it was blindingly bright- _Is it morning? That light looks kind of red..._ He didn’t think _stream_ was actually the word to describe it, as it stretched out at least twenty yards across, but he could see the ground on the bottom. _Could it even be considered a river? Oh I don’t even know anymore._

He sighed again, carefully filling the bowl with water and taking a sip of it. The water was clean enough (though he couldn't help but wonder at the amount of pathogens that were probably swimming around in it) and it didn’t taste like chemicals, which was pretty cool considering what planet he was from, and it felt amazing on his burning throat. Sighing, he sat the bowl down and rubbed his forehead. “I’m sorry.”

“What happened last night, Blu?” Red questioned with a frown. “Goldie said you were awake and alert before you just suddenly dropped down, and then you began screaming and woke everyone up. We couldn’t get you to wake up, though... and you kept thrashing around and nearly clawed Freddy before they secured your arms. And... you just... ran off into the forest like a madman. You... stopped on a path-”

“Don’t follow the paths,” Blu instantly interrupted, his eyes zeroing in on his hands. “Don’t... don’t follow the paths... they all lead to... to the... end? That’s... that’s what it said…”

Red frowned. “What said that?”

“The... the... shadow?” His brow furrowed and he lifted his hands to his head again. It was pulsing. “I don’t... know... it was tall and dark and had white eyes and it spoke to me before I was... somewhere else, I guess... I...” _I sound like I’m crazy._ “It said don’t... don’t follow the paths right before it touched me. And then I saw... strange... _images_ , Red... I don’t know what’s happening but it h...” he trailed off again, looking up at the Bear. Red’s brow was furrowed, watching him with a concerned frown.

“It... hurts?” Red completed and Blu just wanted to cry. He took a deep breath and straightened up, letting his hands drop down. He had never admitted it aloud before and he wasn’t about to, no matter how much he felt he could trust this Bear.

“I need to see... see the moons,” he mumbled instead, closing his eyes. The image of the two bloody-red moons entered his mind, large and imposing in the sky. That image had stood out to him, and not just because the moons were sitting side by side and the colour of blood.

It was the only image in which it was daytime.

“Moons?” Red frowned and glanced at the sky, though even at the stream’s edge it was blocked out by the canopy. “It’s day, they-”

“Doesn’t matter,” he gasped, putting a hand to his head again. It was suddenly hurting again.  _It's not real, it's not real..._ “It- they can be seen during the day. I just- I need to know if I’m going crazy or if the things I saw were real... the paths were real...”

Red was silent for several moments before sighing. “There’s no way you’re climbing a tree like this, you’re bound to fall. I’ll climb it and you can describe what you... saw in the images when I come back down. Confirm or deny it, you know.”

“You don’t think I sound crazy?” Blu asked hopefully, opening his eyes and looking at his companion.

“Do I think you _sound_ crazy? Yes,” Red snorted, standing up again. “Do I think you _are_ crazy? Strangely enough, no.”

“Why not?” Blu inquired, picking the bowl of water up again before climbing to his feet. _I know if anyone else was speaking like this I’d think_ they _were crazy._

“Because Goldie did mention he thought he saw something reach out and touch you,” Red admitted, glancing aside as they began walking away from the stream. “He thought it was a trick of the firelight, though. Said he thought it was a shadow flickering... though... he _did_ note it was odd that it happened just a moment before you collapsed.”

Blu reached up with his free hand and lightly touched his forehead. “That... _thing_ touched me right here,” he mumbled, glancing down. “I think that was how it... gave me the images, I guess?”

A twig snapped, causing both of them to stop. However, when nothing else happened, they continued walking. Blu’s ears were straight up, tense and listening for any sound in the silent forest.

He knew he was being paranoid.

When it became clear no other sounds were coming, he sighed and continued, “I would have thought it was just a shadow, too, if I couldn’t see its eyes.” Blu felt like he was forgetting something- something important... _but what?_ He couldn’t bring himself to concentrate hard enough... It hurt _so bad_ to think...

Red didn’t answer him and he didn’t push the Bear for a response. The silence was answer enough.

They continued walking before his brown-furred companion stopped at the base of a tree, and Blu glanced up. The tree had low-hanging branches, he noted; the Bear would easily be able to climb it. “Wait down here, Blu,” Red commanded, and before Blu could even blink the Bear was gone, disappearing into the branches above.

Sighing, Blu sat down and sipped at the water. He was tense and in pain, and it was not comfortable. At all.

 _Pain is just in our mind,_ he reminded himself, though it didn’t really help. His parents’ blade was nothing compared to the pain spiking in his head. _Heh... at least I feel alive for once._

Silently cursing himself for that thought, he set the bowl aside and took several calming breaths, closing his eyes to block out the light. He listened to the forest around him, but aside from the fading sound of shifting leaves above, it was completely silent.

The only thing he could do was wait for Red to return to the forest floor with his verdict, and that was what he did.

Distantly, he could hear one of the males’ voices. He couldn’t make out the words, identify who it belonged to, and he had no clue who he was speaking to, but Blu figured it would be best to let it be. Forcing himself to relax, he leaned back against the tree. All Blu wanted to do was ease the pain... but he didn’t know how.

His mantra wasn’t working.

 _It’s only in your mind... and maybe that’s the problem. Because... I think it really_ is _in my mind... because I’m... fighting. I’m fighting. That’s why it hurts... I’m fighting back the images. Trying to push them away. What if I...?_

The thoughts rang through his mind and he just sat there, eyes closed, and then... he decided to stop fighting against the images; he didn’t make a conscious decision to do it, but as he sat there and listened to the silence he let them fill his mind, pouring in like water from a faucet and flashing before his eyes all in the same instant. Almost immediately the pain in his head started to subside, leaving a dull ache in its wake.

It was strange, simply accepting something forced upon him like that. He didn’t even know what the images _were_ but he had a strange feeling that they were _real_. That...

That someone was trying to tell him something. But _what?_

_I’m not in control here, but I’m not being controlled either... What's going on?  
_

He jerked slightly as something fell right in front of him and his eyes flew open, but he relaxed when he realized it was just Red, straightening up. “You startled me,” Blu sighed, leaning back against the tree.

“Sorry,” Red apologized as he dusted his pants off. “So what do the moons look like, Blu?”

“Two moons,” he answered almost dully, watching the Bear. “Sitting side by side in the sky, one smaller than the other. They were crimson, too, in the, uh, image I saw...”

The disturbed expression that crossed Red’s face told him exactly what the Bear had seen. “That’s... exactly right...”

“Brilliant,” Blu mumbled, glancing down at his bowl of water. It was almost empty. “Then that means the things I saw were real...”

“Blu...” Red suddenly started, an edge present his voice that made Blu look up at him, brow furrowed. The Bear’s blue eyes were wide and Blu suddenly had a _very_ bad feeling twisting painfully in his gut. “You said... don't follow the paths?”

“They all lead to the end,” Blu confirmed with a slight nod. “That’s what... the thing that gave me the... visions, I guess... said...”

“Freddy and some of the others went to check that path you found...”

Red’s voice trailed off as they stared at each other, Blu’s eyes widening as he realized what the Bear was saying. He didn’t know exactly where the paths led to, but he could feel his heart speed up anyway.

_They lead only to the end._

“How long ago?”

“Not too long, just after sunrise...”

“Then there’s time to stop them,” Blu declared, shoving himself away from the tree and to his feet. “If we hurry-”

A growl filled the air, causing them both to freeze up, staring wide-eyed at one another. Slowly, they turned in the direction of the growl. What they saw sent a spike of fear through Blu; it was a creature that was familiar yet unfamiliar, peeking out at them from the shadows. Its snarling slowly got louder as it sunk down, its narrowed eyes staring them down.

It didn’t take a survival expert to realize that whatever the creature was, it was about to pounce.

“Run,” Red uttered, backing away from the shadowy beast.

Blu knew, as an image flashed through his mind of shadowy beasts chasing spindly beings, that they would never outrun it... but... it was either _try_ to live or just accept death...

To be honest, Blu was tempted to just stand there and accept his fate, but then he remembered Freddy and the others on that path to the end- whatever _that_ was. All he knew was that it wasn’t good. Whatever was on this planet was not something they could truly beat, and he had information that the others did not.

He couldn’t just _die_ and leave them to fend for themselves, not when he knew something else was at play here.

“Run!” Red repeated, much louder, and Blu realized with horror that the creature had pounced, its angry eyes on _him._ Without thinking, he threw his almost-empty bowl of water at the creature, turned on his heel, and ran as fast as he could. Red grabbed his arm, pulling him along at a pace faster than what the Rabbit was used to, and Blu couldn't help but think about his and Bonnie's run through the "death forest." Only, he knew, they were much less likely to survive this.

Behind them, the creature shrieked in anger and pursued them.

There was no way they could outrun it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's important to note that Blu was completely disoriented, panicking, and confused (even if he didn't know it) when he ran off this time. And now we see the beginning of just what Dominic Fueller has put into action~
> 
> So on that dramatic note, let me share a "funny" story with you all!
> 
> After the hurricane, we had to pick up branches and sticks in our yard to pile up at the side of our yard for the city pickup. Last night on the way home from Zaxby's with my sister, I FINALLY noticed that the pile was gone.
> 
> Me: I just noticed the pile is gone.  
> Sis: You just noticed?  
> Me: I almost called it rubbish. That's not rubbish.  
> Sis: It's not even trash.  
> Me: Exactly. It's shrubbish.  
> Sis: Shru- OH MY GOD NO. NO. Just die.  
> Me: *proceeds to make dying dolphin sounds as I laugh myself to death*
> 
> True story bro.


	12. Taking Action

_We can’t outrun it._

They both knew it even as they continued to run away from it, weaving between trees and through tight spaces to try and slow the large beast down. Blu could feel his lungs struggling and his legs aching; he couldn’t keep up with the bear for much longer.

_“Look at it,”_ a soft, but scratchy, voice whispered to him. He ignored it; even he knew better than to look back while running. _“Look at it,”_ the voice insisted. _“Look at it, Bandi Cator. What do you notice?”_

_Notice._ It was telling him to _study_ the creature. With that in mind, he risked glancing over his shoulder for just a split second.

It was further behind them than he expected it to be, leaping across the ground with its eyes locked on them, its shadowy... _flesh_ melting and shifting around as it did so. It burned and melted away before its skin grew over the exposed inside. Despite the fact that its flesh was melting away, it continued to chase them, leaping from one shadow to the next-

_Of course! It’s a creature of the dark, it can’t touch the light! But where is there nothing but light and no shadows? Think, Blu, think! Where do trees not grow?! These kind don’t grow... under water!_

“Red, we have to get to the stream!” he yelped, looking forward again before he could stumble or slow them down. _We can make it if we stick to the light!_

“What?! Why?!” Red questioned, glancing at him for just a moment as they dodged around a tree.

“We have to get away from the shadows!” Blu explained shortly, pointing to the shadows being cast by the trees. “The light hurts it!”

Instead of questioning him more, Red muttered something in a language Blu didn’t understand and redirected them towards the stream. It was, blissfully, not too far away; Blu could even smell the water. “Don’t pause, jump in,” the Rabbit instructed, ignoring the twist in his stomach. _It’s shallow, you can stand in it. No swimming required._

When the bank came into sight, neither Animal hesitated to leap right into the water and run out towards the center, out of the shade of the trees and into the direct sunlight. Instantly Blu felt his fur heat up unpleasantly, but it was tolerable.

More tolerable than being within reach of that _thing_ anyway.

They stopped and whirled around, facing the bank to see the creature had stopped at the water’s edge, pacing up and down as it watched them.

Dimly, Blu noted that it didn’t enter the water, but he didn’t take time to ponder that.

The creature let out a loud, angry shriek, and Blu felt his blood run cold; there was no way the others back at camp, not even a mile into the trees, didn’t hear that. _Oh please don’t come investigate._

Despite the direct sunlight, the water was cold. Too cold. It was a strange sensation- that icy chill crawling up his legs and that burning heat on his ears and shoulders. Neither were pleasant but neither were deadly, either- not immediately, anyway. They could stand there for a while longer.

“How did that thing not get us last night?” Red wondered aloud, his voice soft as though afraid it would prompt the creature to leap at them despite the sunlight. Blu frowned; it was a legitimate question. If the beast was around that morning then it was safe to assume it had been there last night, prowling around...

There was only one explanation. _Shadowy creatures leaping from shadows, skirting far around the flames of homes and shops, never once allowing the light to come in contact with their flesh..._

“The fire.” He looked towards the Bear. “Fire casts light. It didn’t attack us because we were all within the range of the fire.”

“But you ran out into the darkness,” Red reminded him, frowning. “We weren’t in the light the entire time.”

“Maybe it was biding its time.” _They attacked as a group, never as one. They... are... pack animals? But then, wait... where are the others?_ “Oh no,” he moaned, covering his face with his hands as a horrible realization hit him. “These things don’t travel alone!”

“What? How do you know that?!”

“Because they attack as a group! The village- it was destroyed by a _horde_ of these things!” Blu dropped his hands to look back towards the bank at the shadowy creature; it was gone. “If the others are in a place with shadows...” He trailed off, the image of _blood, spilling across the grass and cobble as easily as water_ flashing through his mind.

“How will we get to them?” Red asked, frowning as he looked towards the forest again. “Without getting ourselves killed, that is.”

_Think, Blu, think._ He looked around wildly, eyes flicking from stone to stone beneath the water’s surface. _We have nothing to make fire with here, but- maybe a mirror or something? To reflect the sunlight? It won’t do much but it’d deter them, but what here besides water is reflective?!_

A flash of silver caught his eyes and, without even thinking about it, he hurried over to it as fast as the thigh-deep water would allow him. He knelt down and swept the wet, sifting sand on the stream floor aside, revealing a shiny metallic object. It looked unnatural, but it didn’t look crafted either. Its surface wasn’t perfectly smooth but it was enough for him to see his face and the twin moons hovering in the sky above him, just at the treeline. The red light looked like blood in the water.

It was ominous.

Pushing that thought away, Blu slid his fingers around the metallic object and pulled it out of the sand. It wasn’t exactly light but it wasn’t heavy, either, but it was wide and he had to grab it with both hands as he stood back up.

“What are you doing, Blu? What’s _that_?” Blu flashed him an unhappy grin, turning to face him and lifting the metallic object, purposefully catching the sunlight on it. Red recoiled, lifting a hand to block the light. “Hey, watch it!”

“We need to hurry, Red. This won’t do much damage but it’s the only thing that’ll work until we can get a torch,” he said hurriedly, lowering it slightly so that it was no longer blinding his companion. “We need to hurry and at least warn the others, and stop Freddy and them from exploring the paths.”

Hardly a moment after he finished his sentence, a terrified shriek rang through the forest. Blu’s ears stood straight up, but then he and Red both began hurrying through the water, leaping back onto the bank and running through the trees. It was awkward, running with the metallic object in his hands, but he didn’t dare drop it for fear of what might happen.

They ran straight into the camp where the Lacatran colonists and the white and pink Vulpinian were backed up against a tree. The tall, imposing shadow creature was snarling and closing in on them and the colonists looked like they were about to fight back.

_There’s no way they can beat that thing,_ Blu thought, glancing around desperately for _something_. A patch of sunshine peeking through the canopy, a few yards to the right of the Animals, caught his attention. He looked at Red for a moment to see that the Bear had already dropped down to start making a fire, then he dashed over to the patch of sunlight, skidding to a stop on the grass under his feet and turning to look at the three Animals and the beast.

_I need to stand at..._ this _angle for this to work. Oh man I hope this works at all!_

The blue rabbit lifted the “mirror” up a bit, adjusting his grip so that it wouldn’t fall. The sunlight caught and bounced off, hitting his target dead on. _And science wins again!_

Immediately, the creature’s pained shrieks filled the air and it jerked away from the light- and, thankfully, away from the three Animals it had been targeting. Blu wasn’t letting it go so easily, though; he kept the ray trained on it until it had backed away, out of sight and out of reach, its angry cries the only sign it had been there in the first place.

“What the _fuck_ was that?!” was the first thing out of the purple Rabbit’s mouth, whirling around to look at Blu.

Promptly, Blu dropped the “mirror” to respond, but instead he immediately began cursing in Lapinian as it landed on his feet. Cutting himself off, he took a deep breath; _Only in your mind, Blu_.

“How am I supposed to know?” he inquired calmly, crossing his arms with a scowl.

“Well you obviously knew how to scare it off!”

“Stop it,” Red called from where he sat, a fire lighting up the area around him. “Be glad Blu figured out so quickly that it’s light sensitive or else all five of us would be dead.” He stood up, dusting his pants off as he did so, and looked at the blue Rabbit in question. “We need to hurry and catch up to the others before that creature finds them instead.”

Blu simply nodded. “We’ll take a torch, it’s easier than carrying this metal-thing around,” he started and Red nodded in agreement, turning to find something to make a torch out of.

“What’s going on?” It was Mangle who asked this time, pushing past the two suspicious Rabbits to look at them.

“No time to explain,” Red sighed, lighting the torch he had prepared. “Just stay to the light. The shadows are our enemy here.”

“And don’t follow the paths,” Blu added in a mumble, walking over to Red.

“And don’t follow the paths,” Red repeated louder for the others to hear. “We honestly don’t know much more than this, you’ll just have to trust us for now.”

“Come on, Red, we have to get to Freddy and the others before they reach the end of the path- or worse,” Blu insisted, hurrying in the direction he remembered the path being in. Red was quick to follow him.

* * *

“Freddy, I’m getting a _really_ bad vibe here.”

Freddy glanced back at the darker-haired human, frowning slightly. The truth was he had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, but he didn’t know what could possibly be causing it.

“Do you think we should turn back?” Jeremy asked worriedly, glancing around at the forest around. They hadn’t gone very far along the path; they could easily go back and be back at camp within fifteen minutes of walking.

The Bear turned his gaze back to the path, his frown deepening as he looked at the stones. They had simply been standing there for several minutes now; they had just slowed to a stop and never started walking again. Something about the path... _bothered_ Freddy.

Maybe it was the cracks in the stones. Maybe it was the way the trees grew so close to them, dark shadows cutting across the path. Maybe it was simply the dark stains in the stone...

Or maybe it was that feeling of being watched.

“I agree,” he finally decided, turning his gaze back to the shadows ahead. “Something’s telling me if we go further... well, nothing good’ll come from it. Let’s get back to camp... I don’t think we should separate anymore. For any reason.”

His words were tinged with unease; he thought about Goldie, wondering if his brother was in any sort of danger. He thought about the Ardraw colonist and the Lapinian- undoubtedly they were together, but that wasn’t much comfort; neither of them looked all that strong in Freddy’s opinion. And the Chicken and Fox? The Lacatran colonists?

If something _was_ watching them- stalking them... if there was a danger then being alone was not a good idea.

“Let’s go back.”

A low, deep growl suddenly filled the air around them as if disagreeing, and a chill ran up Freddy’s spine, seeping into his bones. _Oh no..._

“Uh...” the Chicken with them started, her voice higher than it had been earlier. “I-I think it might be too late for that...”

Freddy turned to look at the path behind them, blue eyes widening at the creature standing between them and their path back to the camp. It was large- so much larger than anything Freddy had seen on Ursius- and it seemed to be shifting, like a shadow, with large fangs bared and white eyes blazing.

“Too late,” Foxy squeaked in agreement, taking a step back. “What do this thing be?!”

“Okay, quick vote- back to camp or follow the path?” Jeremy laughed uneasily as they all stepped back. The creature before them began crouching down, and as it did Freddy noticed that it seemed to have a mild burn on one of its... shoulders?

_Has this thing been to our camp? Oh no..._

“What choice is there?” Chii questioned. “Run!”

And they did.

They all whirled around and ran further down the path, believing it to be the lesser evil in this case. The Bear could feel a pit forming in his stomach as they entered the darker shadows on the path, but he didn’t pause in his running.

Behind him, he could hear the sound of claws scraping stone as the creature gave chase. He realized with horror...

_It’s faster than us._

There was no way they could outrun the creature, especially on a straight line. There was only one choice.

“Off the path!” he commanded, taking a sharp right into the trees. The others didn’t hesitate to follow, nor did the creature. However, now they could weave between the trees- maybe slow it down a little. Find somewhere that the creature couldn’t fit. They risked getting lost, but it was better than letting themselves get attacked.

This plan might have worked, too... if they didn’t have to skid to a stop, coming face to face with a second creature. It was even larger than the first, snarling as it stared down at them, blocking their way through the trees.

Freddy looked around, that feeling of horror growing in his stomach as he realized that... these creatures were _surrounding_ them.

Right off the bat, the Bear could count at least five circling around them, _watching_ them... but for some reason none of them approached.

Behind them there was an angered screech, prompting Freddy to look behind them. The beast that had been chasing them was pacing, clearly agitated, at the edge of the shadow it stood in.

All of the creatures were pacing in agitation, Freddy realized. Circling them just at the edge of the shadows, snarling and angry.

They were in a clearing and the creatures weren’t entering.

_The light,_ he quickly surmised, watching as the creatures jerked away from the shifting sunlight. _The light is keeping them at bay._

Suddenly, a whistle sounded through the clearing, causing each creature to snap to attention. After a few seconds, the two closest to the sound disappeared into the trees to investigate. Freddy’s heart raced, wondering just who it was that was whistling. _Please, please don’t be Goldie..._

However, angry and pained shrieks filled the air, causing the exploration group to jump. It was loud, it was startling, and it was _worrying_ , to say the least. The Bear’s blue eyes followed as more of the creatures raced off to investigate the sound, and when only more shrieks sounded, the last of them followed, leaving the Animals completely alone.

After several seconds, something dropped to the ground at the very edge of the clearing; it was Fredric, quickly followed by the Lapinian who stumbled upon landing. The bear caught him and the two smaller Animals quickly approached Freddy’s group.

Fredric had a torch in hand- _how was he climbing trees with that thing?_

“Are you guys alright?” Bandi asked nervously, casting a glance over his shoulder.

“Lads...” Foxy started, stepping forward next to Freddy. “What. The fuck. Was that.”

“Wish we knew,” the Lapinian laughed, though it wasn’t in any way amused. It sounded borderline-hysterical to Freddy, which was concerning to say the least. “My question is why’s the world turning red?”

“Huh?”

“The light,” Fredric explained briefly, and with a sudden shock Freddy realized they were right. He looked around, noticing that the world was tinted red by a strange light. “At least the trap seems to have worked.”

“Trap?” Chii repeated, tilting her head towards the two. “What trap?”

“We set up a fire trap- don’t worry, it’s completely contained,” Bandi assured them, waving a hand dismissively. “Light hurts them, including firelight.”

“We should find the others,” Freddy decided, frowning. “If those... _things_ are running around, then-”

“No more going off alone, right?” Bandi guessed flatly, and Freddy simply nodded.

_I swear we need a leash for this kid._

The light began changing again and Freddy glanced towards the sky. There was a moon there- half silver, half red. He could just barely see the tip of another moon, and he simply watched as one moon rose and the other “fell,” the red slipping away the further they got from one another.

There were more angry shrieks about the forest, from all around, and it sent Freddy’s heart racing; these things were literally everywhere. However, after a few seconds, the world fell into dead silence again.

“I think,” Bandi started after several moments, “we now know why this planet’s uninhabited.”

* * *

When they arrived back at camp, Blu did a quick headcount- _two Foxes, two other Rabbits, three Bears, two Chickens, two Humans, okay so no one died, that’s good._

Everyone looked properly freaked out, sharing looks that just screamed _what is going on?_ Blu shared a look with Red, suddenly not wanting to mention his strange dreams to them- _What if they blame me for this? What if they expect me to_ actually know _what’s happening here?_

“Freddy!” Goldie immediately rushed over to his brother, concern reflecting in his eyes.

Freddy visibly relaxed at the sight of his brother and reached out to grab his arm. “Thank goodness,” he muttered, relief clear in his voice. A little louder, he addressed the entire camp; “I think we need to prioritize a proper, _safe_ shelter.”

There was a general murmur of agreement.

“And,” he added, glancing towards Blu and Red, “don’t go anywhere alone.”

“We should move to a clearing, probably,” Red suggested, glancing towards the canopy. The last hints of red had finally faded, but Blu still felt somewhat... shaky. “That way we’re not stuck in shadows.”

“And that means...?” Chica prompted.

“Light hurts those creatures,” Blu answered absently, letting his eyes trail along the ground. “I wonder where they go...” But he was confident he already knew.

There were caverns, after all.

“Funny that they should leave when the red fades,” he added to himself, frowning in thought. He wasn’t even sure if anyone else was listening to him, but that didn’t stop him from considering it. _There might be a connection to the light and those beasts... the moon and the shadows? Or... red moons and the shadows, anyway..._

_“The cave mouths hold many answers, Bandi Cator...”_

He flinched at the whispering and glanced over his shoulder. Near the edge of the clearing, he just barely caught movement.

In the scarce amount of sunlight, he managed to make out a pale face.

_The cave mouths... that sounds like a_ really _bad idea._

_“You wish to protect your companions, do you not?” What the- can it hear me? “Then go to the caves. You will figure the rest out there.”_

He blinked owlishly, then his gaze slid over towards- _west, is it? I was never good with directions-_ some direction. Somehow, he felt like that was where he needed to go.

Blu nudged Red, and the Bear looked over at him. “Come with me?” he asked, and Red just made a gesture with his hand. Blu didn’t recognize the gesture but still he understood its meaning; _lead the way._

_Why does he trust me so much?_

It hit him that Red was actually _listening_ to him- _trusting_ him and his words. Blu couldn’t figure out _why_ when he didn’t even trust himself.

_Or maybe he’s just being a... friend?_

Whatever it was, Blu gave him a smile which was returned without hesitance, and Blu went to head in that direction he just _knew_ the voice or creature or whatever wanted him to go, Red following closely.

“Where are you two going?”

Blinking, Blu looked over at Freddy, who was watching them with a raised brow. “To check something,” he answered. Freddy did not look impressed.

“No.”

_What? What do you mean “no”?!_

“But I just-”

“No.”

“Red is coming-”

“No.”

“It’s not like I’m-”

“No.”

“But-”

“Bandi,” Freddy cut off warningly, eying the teen, “I said no.”

There was a beat of tense silence before Blu let out a breath and looked over at Red. The Bear looked as helpless as Blu felt and simply pat him on the shoulder.

“Maybe later, when more people can come,” Red suggested, but Blu frowned. So far Red was the only one who knew about what really happened last night- and Blu _really_ didn’t want to tell the others.

_They’ll think I’m completely insane and Freddy would_ definitely _never let me out of his sight at that point._

“Fine,” he grumbled, crossing his arms and looking away. He knew he looked like a petulant child- _oh how mother and father would_ flay _me if I acted like this to them...-_ but he didn’t care. He _needed_ to see what the voice was talking about.

“Good.” Freddy sounded satisfied, even if Blu’s agreement was begrudging at best, and he turned back to the others. “Let’s just... get started with this. And no one leaves on their own until we know what’s going on. Got it?”

No one made any argument, instead just made gestures or sounds of agreement. Blu hadn’t even realized until that moment that, whether intentionally or unintentionally, the group of twelve stranded strangers had somehow made Freddy their leader.

Begrudgingly, he had to admit that Freddy was probably the best one for the job anyway. He was clearly concerned about everyone and had a good head on his shoulders. He was a natural; even Blu felt inclined to obey, despite his natural distaste of authority.

That was a frightening thought- he _really_ didn’t want to equate Freddy with his parents or government.

Everyone got to work doing something- “packing” whatever stuff had already been made or gathered or even picking up the strange makeshift buckets to carry- and Blu simply followed Red, unsure of what else he could have possibly done.

At that moment, he felt incredibly useless.

_“This is only the beginning, Bandi Cator...”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This problem is NOT resolved. At all. Ohhh no there is still so much shite to go down.
> 
> And it only gets worse. You'll find out how. ;)


	13. Making Shelter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm home now, and I've decided to update this since I'd written the next chapter before leaving, and I am now working on the last two parts necessary to update BTM. I have no oneshot prepared nor any future scenes I'm willing to share as of right now, so please enjoy this somewhat-filler, somewhat-insight content.

Finding the perfect moment to slip away was very hard- especially since both Bonnie and Freddy seemed to be keeping an eye on the Rabbit teen. Red could tell that as more and more time passed by, Blu was becoming more and more anxious, glancing around nervously and fidgeting, his gaze always falling towards the west.

It was, frankly, worrying Red. Blu would jump at random times and inch away, but a stern look from Freddy kept him within the clearing that they had moved to. Sometimes he would just go up to the edge of the forest and peer out into the trees as if something there could answer his questions.

Hours passed- long, tiring, busy hours in which everyone was putting their all into getting a proper shelter finished by dusk. A job that, on Ardraw, took two or three people a week to do took the eight- Freddy, Goldie, Bonnie, Spring, Red himself, Foxy, Mangle, and Chica- working together just a little under eight hours... if Red had to guess. The sun was starting to set by the time they managed to get a shelter big enough for all twelve of them up, the walls sturdy and the ceiling sealed but for a single vent right above a fire pit- just like on Ardraw.

It was too cold at night to not have a fire pit, and everyone with half a brain knew better than to have an indoor fire with a _sealed_ roof.

The only issue Red had now was the big gaping hole that served as their “door.” They didn’t exactly have anything to _make_ a door with, and they didn’t have time to put anything together.

_We’ll just have to wing it,_ he supposed, glancing around. The Foxes had both sprawled out on the grass, clearly exhausted, and Chica was leaning against a tree. Even the Lacatrans looked tired from the hours of straight work, and Red could honestly say he was feeling the burn as well.

It took him all of four seconds to realize that _Blu is gone._ He had to actually bite his tongue to keep the curse from spilling out- sure, he had planned on slipping away to try and figure out what the hell was wrong with Blu, but he hadn’t thought the Rabbit would actually-

“Red?” Blinking, Red turned around to find the Lapinian standing there, just looking at him.

_Oh. He’s not gone, he was just out of sight,_ Red realized, smiling sheepishly. He didn’t tell the Rabbit his assumptions, instead asking, “Yes, Blu?”

“Can you help me real quick?” he started, glancing over his shoulder. “While you guys were working on that, I kidnapped Mike and Jeremy to help me but... none of us really know how to tie a knot like this.”

“A knot?” Red repeated, frowning. “But you’ve tied those vines into knots.”

“This is different,” Blu muttered, glancing aside again. “Please?”

“Alright,” Red agreed, and Blu turned around and headed back to the two Humans. With a glance at the others (they were resting and just talking), Red followed.

Blu dropped down next to the darker-haired human, and as Red approached them he finally figured out _exactly_ what they were doing.

Lying on the ground in front of the three was a bundle of neatly-cut branches, each relatively straight leaving only small gaps. A second layer of branches was underneath, and Red understood why these knots weren’t like the ones on Blu’s saw.

_It’s more than two,_ he realized, blinking owlishly at the... door. _It’s a door._ The logs were bound together with vines, weaving and looping around the logs carefully to bound them together securely. It was done in three places; near the top, in the middle, and near the bottom.

While Red and the others had been making the hut, Blu had recruited the Humans to make a door. The only thing that wasn’t finished was the vines; they had not been tied off yet.

_If you tie it wrong, the entire thing will fall apart,_ he told himself, glancing up at the Humans and Blu. _That’s why Blu can’t do it; too tightly, it falls apart, too loose, it falls apart, and the wrong kind of knot would mean it’d fall apart._ Red was no stranger to these kind of doors; on Ardraw, it was common to make doors like that.

It made sense that Blu would approach Red for help.

Kneeling down, Red began securely tying off the vines, and Blu and the Humans just watched. “I didn’t know you three were doing this,” Red commented as he finished tying it off, subtly testing the bindings. They were firm and none of the logs shifted. They were bound perfectly, which was more than a little surprising to Red. “You didn’t tell anyone.”

Blu just shrugged. “I figured it wouldn’t matter if we told anyone,” he started, standing up again. “And I figured it’d be useless to ask for dimensions, since we have nothing to measure with.”

“Then how did you make it?” Red questioned, looking up at his friend. “If you didn’t know the dimensions.”

“I looked at it,” he answered simply. “About six and a half feet tall, three and a half wide.”

The measurement sounded strange to Red but he _did_ understand them. He glanced over towards the doorway, frowning; he knew Blu was right on the money. The tallest of them was about six-foot-four, so they had gone off of his height and made the doorway just a few inches taller. What he didn’t know was how Blu knew that by simply _looking._

“Engineering is part of science on Lapinia,” Blu answered the unvoiced question, and Red looked back towards him, brow furrowing. Blu was glancing off to the side. “I learned how to just... eye things. It was faster to do on timed practicals than using a measure,” he explained, shrugging. “I got pretty good at it...”

“Impressive,” he commented, but judging by Blu’s frown the Rabbit disagreed.

“We have these,” Mike started, holding up some more vine. They were thin but clearly strong; it was the same kind binding the door together. “Blu found them at the edge of the clearing and tested their strength. It should work as temporary door hinges, until we can find something better.”

_Why is a Lapinian thinking like a colonist?_

The question crossed his mind before he could even register what he was about to think. Something just didn’t feel right about it; there was no way Blu, who was from _Lapinia_ of all planets, would instinctively know how to make a primitive door like those found on planets such as Ardraw and Lacatra. There was no way he had ever even _seen_ such a door.

_So how did he know how to build it?_

The answer, of course, was obvious. _He watched how we were building the shelter._ He saw how they were binding the logs and branches together- down to the way the vines were weaved through and looped around, down to the two layers... _He knew what to do just by_ watching _us._

Unsure of what to say, Red simply nodded. “It’s getting dark,” he mentioned unnecessarily, glancing back towards the assembled teens and adults across the clearing.

“I know,” Blu told him. “Also, just saying, this thing is an entire foot taller than me.”

“Is that your way of saying it’s too heavy for you to carry?” Red chuckled, looking back at the shorter Rabbit. He was barely taller than the Humans next to him- hardly an inch taller than Mike. It occurred to Red that Blu must have felt really short, what with the Lacatrans and Ursians there.

Hell, they made _Red_ feel short, and he was several inches taller than Blu was.

Blu pouted slightly. “I’ve never had a reason to carry anything like that.”

“I know,” Red assured him. He glanced over at the Humans questioningly.

“Well, I go to the gym every day,” Mike muttered. “I can probably carry it, with a little help.”

“I can help,” Jeremy assured the Human.

“Me too,” Red put in, knowing he was probably better off than any of the other three. Blu just shuffled his feet.

“I can try,” the Lapinian voiced, frowning slightly. “I mean, with four people it shouldn’t be too hard, right?”

“Or we could call over the guys who are pretty much the same height as the door,” Jeremy put in, nodding over towards the Ursians and Lacatrans. “Freddy’s lookin’ at us _really_ suspiciously, anyway.”

Red and Blu both turned in that direction to find that, yes, Freddy _was_ watching them. “I guess we do look pretty suspicious, standing in a group right at the clearing’s edge,” Blu snorted, glancing towards Red. “Probably thinks we’re gonna bolt any second now.”

“Can you blame him for not trusting us?” Red asked, waving for Freddy to _come over, please._ “Every time you’ve run off on your own, _something_ happened. First your hands got torn to shreds, then you nearly get killed by falling trees and holes, then you got abducted or something, drugged, kept walking off-”

“I get it, Red,” Blu interrupted as Freddy- and Goldie, he noted- approached them. “I wandered off too much and have lost my me-time privileges.”

“Damn straight,” one of the Humans muttered. As usual, neither Red nor Blu questioned the phrase.

“Yes?” Freddy asked as he and his brother approached them. Red simply gestured to the door at their feet, and both Ursians’ gazes fell to it, blinking in surprise.

“Blu, Mike and Jeremy made this while we were making the shelter,” Red informed them. The twins shared a look and Red could practically read the silent exchange they were having.

_How?_

“We watched you,” Blu deadpanned, clearly able to perfectly understand the silent conversation. “That is we watched how you bound the branches together to make a wall. I figured a door would be similar... just made with enough room to, uh, open,” he expanded, his voice lowering into a mutter the longer he spoke.

“Well,” Goldie started, glancing over at them, “it was certainly a good idea, we wouldn’t have enough time to make a door.”

“At least we won’t be in a shelter with a gaping hole in it,” Freddy chuckled. “Well, if we want to beat the cold, we should really get back to work.”

It didn’t take too long with the Ursians’ help, especially after the Lacatrans came to join them, and soon enough the door- which, Red noticed, was pretty much a perfect fit, leaving just enough room to easily open but not so much that it could swing open on its own- was secured in place with vines, and the shelter was closed off to the outside.

It was cold, so everyone was more than a little relieved when the fire was started. The shelter wasn’t too large, but it _was_ big enough to comfortably fit twelve people lying down. Just barely, but enough.

They had done that on purpose.

The fire pit was lined with stones and the floor was wood covered in leaves for padding; the walls, of course, were layered wood bound together and secured into the ground around the floor. The roof was simply made of vines and leaves with some wooden support; later on, Red knew, they would make a proper roof out of branches like they’d done for the walls, but they had already had the leaf roof from when it was raining and they hadn’t had time to make a proper one before dark.

Sighing, Red dropped down next to Blu and leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees as he looked at the fire. With Blu on his right and Freddy on his left, he couldn’t help but feel somewhat crowded but it wasn’t like they had much choice. The close quarters, he knew, would make things somewhat awkward, but luckily it seemed like the two pairs of brothers didn’t mind being very close and neither of the Foxes seemed to have a sense of personal space...

“This is cozy,” Chica commented, glancing around.  
  
“Yeah, well, we can make it better later, when we’re sure we’re not gonna get ourselves killed,” Bonnie griped, poking at the fire with a stick. “For now, suck it up.”  
  
“Someone’s in a good mood,” the Chicken muttered to Chii who simply shrugged helplessly.

Next to him, Blu let out a breath and Red glanced over at him to find the Rabbit lifting a hand to his forehead, a small grimace on his face. His ears were twitching as well, as though listening for something.

No one else seemed to notice.

“So what’re we doin’ ‘til it be time to sleep, lads and lasses?” Foxy asked boredly, watching the flames dance in the pit in front of them. “Other than dwell on what the hell happened earlier, anyway.”

“I wonder where they were hiding,” Mangle mused thoughtfully, leaning back on their arms. They seemed careless of the fact that they were shoulder-to-shoulder with their fellow Fox. “It’s like they came out of nowhere.”

“It’s pretty obvious,” Blu muttered beside Red, and Red frowned slightly at him. Although it had been a comment to himself, Mike on Blu’s other side, as well as Jeremy and Freddy, heard it anyway.

“What d’ya mean by that?” Mike asked, raising a brow. “I don’t think it’s obvious.”

Blinking, the Rabbit glanced around to find everyone watching him now. Some of them looked somewhat annoyed- such as the Lacatrans and the Foxes- while some looked concerned, like Red knew he himself was. After a few seconds, Blu sat up straighter and furrowed his brow, looking at them in confusion.

“You mean you haven’t realized it?” he asked, and when he received no response he frowned. “Oh come on, they’re shadow creatures living on a planet that gets hours and hours of sunlight that penetrates the canopy, there’s only one place they could have been. They were obviously in-”

“-the caves,” Bonnie suddenly cut in, and Blu just nodded. “The caves we almost fell into.” Blu nodded again, more hesitantly this time. Red watched Blu, feeling more than a little concerned for his companion. “So... _basically,_ the entire inside of this planet could be swarming with these things.”

It took a moment for the words to register, but when they did Blu’s eyes widened. “I didn’t even think of that...”

“We don’t know how far the caves extend,” Freddy assured before anyone could actually freak out. “For all we know, they were only in that area.”

His words didn’t seem to really comfort anyone as they all looked around worriedly at each other. Barely audible to Red, Blu whispered, “They’re not.”

Red turned to his friend, raising a brow as Blu just looked back at him, his ears lowering. He didn’t get a chance to ask, however, before Chii spoke up, saying, “We should probably eat something.”

The Rabbit turned away and Red let out a soft sigh; he’d have to ask later.

“Not hungry,” Blu muttered, moving away from the fire and towards the wall. Red frowned.

“You need to eat, Bandi,” Freddy called over to him.

“I said I’m not hungry.”

_He hasn’t eaten anything since we woke up here._ Red glanced over at Freddy; he knew the older Bear knew that as well as he himself did. _It’s been nearly four days. He has to eat or he’ll starve._

_Thinking about it, what even are the eating habits on Lapinia...?_

“Bandi,” Goldie started this time, frowning in concern. “We’ve been here for nearly four days and I haven’t seen you eat _any_ thing. You _do_ realize not eating is a _really_ bad idea, right?”

“I’m not hungry,” Blu repeated simply.

_Don’t people lose appetite when they’re depressed?_ It wasn’t exactly something Red knew much about- everything they knew about mental health on Ardraw was learned from the Ursians’ visits to the planet and their talks, but Red did somewhat remember something about depression. _I don’t even know if that’s what Blu has, but either way..._

Red sighed and, with a quick decision, he stood up and went over to Blu, kneeling down next to him. He highly doubted Blu wanted the others, who Red had already realized still didn’t have the Lapinian’s trust, to hear them.

“Blu,” he called gently and quietly, prompting the Rabbit to glance up at him. “I know you don’t feel hungry,” he started, “but if you don’t eat you’ll get weak and sick, and you’d eventually die. You haven’t eaten in days, I’m surprised you’re not weak already.”

The Lapinian glanced away, frowning, and muttered, “I don’t eat that kind of food.”

“What do you mean?” Red questioned patiently.

“You know...” He made a few strange gestures with his hands, as if trying to say something without saying it. Red made no move to respond, and Blu seemed to realize that he _didn’t_ understand. “Organic,” he finally muttered, leaning on his hand, and Red realized almost as soon as he said it that it was completely obvious. “Lapinia doesn’t exactly have... you know.”

“So the reason you don’t want to eat is because it’s organic?” Red summarized, still speaking to him as quietly as he could. A glance over his shoulder showed that the Bears could definitely hear them, but the Humans didn’t seem able to.

“That’s not it,” Blu sighed, glancing towards the ceiling. “It’s been this way for generations, Red- I’m not even sure if I _can._ Or if I can, if it’ll make me sick.”

“It’s the only option we have, Blu,” Red reminded him. “Besides, it can’t be that different- what they, ah... make on Lapinia is probably very similar in nature.” _Well, not completely._ “Though I’m sure Lapinia’s is more... efficient.”

“And tasteless,” Blu snorted. “It’s made for, well, efficiency, not pleasure.”

“No matter what, food is a necessity, and right now this is all we have,” Red told him. “It might not be as efficient as what you’re used to, but it’ll keep you alive and that’s what’s important right now.”  
  
“It’ll keep us alive if it doesn’t kill us itself.”

“We’re still alive,” the Bear pointed out, and Blu glanced at him. “Just eat something, please.”

The two Animals seemed to have a short stare-down in their little corner of the hut before Blu sighed and looked away. “Fine.”

“Thank you.”

* * *

“Well the Rabbit is certainly sharp,” Bonsha commented from where he laid, tapping on the holoscreen to zoom in on the group of Animals and Humans around their fire. It was just a stroke of luck that the golden Lacatran hadn’t noticed the small flying camera when Bonsha was putting it in place... “I wonder when they’ll realize he should have died within hours of meeting them all.”

“Meaning?” Shafred prompted, leaning back in his chair to look across at the Rabbit.

“Lapinians who are never meant to go onto other planets, such as military scientists, are never exposed to foreign substances. They even managed to pretty much eliminate all harmful bacteria and viruses on their own planet.”

“So essentially the Lapinian has no immune system.”

“Essentially.”

There was silence for a few moments. “Is that why you took so much longer with his innoculations?” Shafred asked, turning his attention back to his own holoscreen. He was watching outside of the hut, keeping an eye on the shadows.

“Yes,” Bonsha confirmed, glancing over towards his companion. “All of the other planets had very similar maladies and such, so it was relatively simple with them. The Lapinian, on the other hand, had absolutely no base to build off of- he wouldn’t even survive on the Lapinia of two centuries ago,” he added with a mirthless snort, turning the screen to focus on said Rabbit. He was looking critically at the berry in his hand, more than a little unsure. “Yet I believe it was worth it. It seems that the Teppupian managed to connect with him.”

Shafred paused and turned to look at the small black Rabbit, raising a brow. “Connect? As in-”

“Yes,” Bonsha interrupted, watching lazily as Bandi Cator made a face when he finally tried the berry. It was somewhat amusing, but he wouldn’t admit that. “The Teppupian was able to make a connection with the Lapinian. You do realize what that means, right?”

“I was not aware that the Lapinians were advanced enough for such connections,” Shafred confessed, flipping to a different holoscreen. “I thought they were still half a millennia from it, at best.”

“It’s a pretty bad connection,” the Rabbit admitted, finally turning off his holodevice to give the subjects some sort of privacy, “but a connection nonetheless. If I’m not mistaken, it’s taking a heavy toll on the Lapinian and the Teppupian is not easily able to get through to him. The Lapinian keeps grimacing at random points, and he seems to be in some sort of pain.”

“So you believe that Lapinians are not yet capable for that sort of connection,” Shafred surmised, and Bonsha looked over at him, his silvery eyes meeting black.

“Yes,” Bonsha answered, not backing down. Shafred didn’t back down, either, simply watching him. “The connection is the way the Teppupians communicate with one another... there is no way a mind as unevolved as modern Lapinians could truly make that connection. It’s why the Lapinian immediately fell into an unconscious state when the connection was first made, and why when he is awake he keeps faltering. It might also be a contributing factor to his fidgety, flighty behavior today.”

Shafred hummed softly in consideration. “This could either be very good or very bad,” he decided, looking away from Bonsha to switch to a different screen. He didn’t react at all when a pale white face was _right there,_ its black eyes just staring through the camera to him. “Or even both.”

“Good for the subjects, bad for us,” Bonsha sighed, standing up and walking over to his companion to peer over his shoulder. “It knows we’re watching.”

“It can probably hear us,” Shafred added, glancing up at Bonsha.

“The speakers are one-way.”

“It’s a Teppupian, Bonsha,” Shafred reminded him, looking back at the holoscreen right before it went to static- something that he hadn’t seen in a long time. “We don’t know what it can do.”

When the static faded, the Teppupian was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're wondering why I keep coming back to Bonsha and Shafred- well, their notes are important. It also adds a sort of... irony. You'll know things long before the main folks will, plus they're a look into the antagonist's side. And really, Bonsha and Shafred aren't so bad... you'll see later on why they're acting the way they are. (You already know they're not pleased with how the experiment is being handled by their superiors...)
> 
> And no worries, Freddy will relax after a bit. I mean, can you blame him for being on edge? He woke up on a foreign planet with his brother and a bunch of strangers, three of which don't get along at all, and within a week two said strangers nearly get themselves killed followed almost immediately by one getting kidnapped, and then all of them getting attacked by weird shadow creatures. Add on top of that a possibly depressed and self-destructive teenage Rabbit, the possibility that this is all an experiment (they DO have translation programs in their heads, Freddy isn't an idiot), some infuriating colonists, and a strange stalker thing... can you really blame him for being worried/overprotective/suspicious?


	14. We Need to Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More was supposed to happen in this chapter but then this happened instead and I realized it was something that seriously needed to be addressed with the characters, so now there’s a double-post so you don’t get filler content twice in a row!

_The moons were red, sitting side by side in the sky. The sun was setting over a red-tinted sea, the trees behind him shifting and groaning threateningly as the light slowly faded into darkness._

He shivered and curled in tighter on himself, his knees nearly drawn up to his chest. The fire crackled, warm and comforting, but still the unconscious rabbit felt like he was freezing.

_Waves crashed over his feet, the salty water sinking into his fur. The sand swirled loosely around, tickling his ankles, but he kept his eyes forwards on the red-orange sun as it slowly descended upon the horizon. The water was freezing and as the sea retreated from the shore he could have sworn he felt ice collecting, clinging to his fur and the skin beneath. It burned._

His ears flicked as the firwood popped, and he briefly opened his eyes. He didn’t really register the red-orange fire or the golden Rabbit sitting next to it, and his eyes slid shut again.

_The sea rushed forward to meet him again, a thin filmy layer of ice forming on the top as the sun continued to fade away, leaving him with nothing but the red glow of the moons above. The tiny ice shards felt like knives cutting through his flesh but he couldn’t bring himself to move. From somewhere behind him a growl cut through the air._

The young Rabbit breathed in sharply, quietly, and buried his face in his arms. He couldn’t feel the fire or the presence on either side of him. All he could feel was the chilly air and the icy waters crashing over his feet, crawling up his legs...

_He finally jerked into motion, stumbling forwards into the ocean. His mind was screaming at him to turn around and get out of the water, but his feet took him deeper and deeper in instead. The water slammed against his legs before retreating, now knee high. There was a splash behind him._

His ears twitched, his eyes fluttered, his lips pulled into a frown. His breathing was uneven- short, flighty- and he continued trembling, unable to stop himself. He didn’t feel the hand land on his shoulder.

_He continued forward- waist deep, the water was quickly becoming deeper. Chest deep. Too deep. A wave, much taller than himself, broke just feet in front of him and slammed into his body, sending him reeling back into and under the water. He could have sworn he was being dragged down into the darkness. Water filled his mouth and nose, but for some reason he couldn’t stop his own breathing._

_His insides felt like ice, his nose and throat and lungs all burning- if he didn’t know any better, he’d say ice was forming_ inside _his body. He couldn’t breathe, yet still he tried. Something was above him- he could just barely make it out before his sight faded into darkness and-_

“Blu!”

Finally, Blu’s eyes snapped open and he jerked up, but as he did his head collided with someone else’s. He yelped in surprise and dropped back down as someone else- _Red,_ he quickly identified- jerked away with a grunt, and the hand on his shoulder slipped away.

Looking up, Blu noticed Red kneeling next to him and leaning back, rubbing his forehead. The door was wide open, the fire was nothing more than a smolder, and sunlight streamed through the doorway.

He and Red were alone in the little hut, he noticed.

Blinking, he looked back at Red and frowned. “Sorry,” he apologized, sitting up and reaching to rub the back of his head where he could determine a dull ache. It was undoubtedly where his head had hit the Bear’s. “You startled me...”

“Yeah, and you scared the hell out of me,” Red shot back, sighing and dropping his hand down on his lap. “You just stopped breathing all of a sudden, and kinda made some choking sound. Like you were drowning, and you were just shivering.”

Blu watched the Bear frown at him, his blue eyes reflecting concern, and for a moment he was confused. _Drowning?_ he wondered, but then his dream returned to him, crashing over him as the ice-cold wave had.

“Oh,” he mumbled, finally pushing himself up to his knees and shifting around so that he was sitting. “I thought I _was_ drowning.”

Red furrowed his brow, clearly confused, and situated himself on the leaf-covered floor. “What do you mean?”

Blu took a breath and leaned on his hand, glancing towards the ceiling. “I thought I was on a beach or something,” he began explaining. “I was in the water and the moons were red and the sun was setting, and there was something behind me. I was standing in the water... and when the sun set ice started to form on the surface and in my fur, and then I just started going in deeper...”

“You thought you were standing in the ocean?” Red sounded somewhat surprised and Blu simply nodded, feeling ridiculous as the Bear said it. “We’re not even near an ocean.”

“I know,” Blu assured him, sighing. “There’s no salt in the air here, but from what I could hear... because I couldn’t look around, I was stuck until I started moving and it wasn’t of my own free will... the forest ran straight up to the sand of the beach. I could hear the trees,” he told Red, hoping he didn’t sound as insane as he feared he might. “In the wind, that is. Not like- not like talking to me or something.”

“I get it,” Red started with a nod, frowning. “So you were dreaming that you were drowning.”

“I guess,” the Rabbit gave, somewhat unsure. “It’s really weird, though, this never happened back on Lapinia...”

Red let out a sigh. “We’re not on Lapinia, though,” he reminded the Rabbit. “And we all know something strange is going on.”

Humming softly to himself, Blu glanced up at the ceiling then down at his hands. In his mind he could see those gashes, but they were completely gone. He wasn’t sure how or why- he just woke up and they were gone...

_Strange is an understatement._

He sighed and pushed himself to his feet, heading to the doorway. Peeking out, he saw the Lacatrans speaking together near the edge of the clearing, and not too far from the Rabbits Mangle and Mike were boredly poking at Foxy’s tail. The red Fox seemed to be taking a mid-morning nap in the sun.

Freddy, Goldie, Jeremy, and the Chickens were nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s Freddy and them?” he asked Red, glancing back at him. Red frowned, as though he could see the plan forming in Blu’s mind.

“They’re out gathering food and proper building materials,” Red answered, pushing himself up to his feet and walking over to Blu. The Lapinian turned back to looking out the doorway, frowning in thought.

“So,” he started slowly, “No splitting up... unless you’re Freddy.”

“Give him a break, Blu,” Red sighed, “we _were_ attacked yesterday. And you seem to get into a lot of trouble.”

Blu frowned and sighed, flicking his ears. “Well then,” he said, turning to look at Red, “it looks like it’s safe right now, how about we go find that cave?”

The Bear in front of him blinked owlishly, confused, before frowning. “What? Didn’t you say just last night that those caves is where these things are most likely hiding?”

“Yeah.” There was a few moments of silence, Blu and Red just watching each other.

“And,” Red continued slowly, watching him, “you want to go there... why?”

“The cave mouth has answers,” Blu repeated the masked... thing’s... words from the day before, letting his gaze wander in that same direction again.

“I’m starting to get _very_ concerned, Blu,” Red muttered to him, prompting the Rabbit to turn back to him. Red was frowning at him, his brow furrowed. “I don’t know what’s going on but I don’t think now is a good time to just run off on an... adventure, or whatever.”

“It’s better to figure this out before someone dies,” Blu shot back, frowning at his companion. “Which has almost happened several times in the last few days.”

“Blu, listen,” Red started, his voice as calm and gentle as the colonist could muster, “we _don’t_ know what’s going on, and I don’t think finding the caves these things potentially hide in will tell us what’s going on.”

“But it can help,” Blu argued, glancing aside. Of course he knew Red was looking at it logically- of course a cave wouldn’t hold _all_ of the answers they were looking for, but... Blu felt like whatever it was that the porcelain-faced being wanted him to see was important.

“When Freddy comes back, we can talk to him about this.”

_Freddy’s been recognized as the leader,_ Blu suddenly remembered, glancing back at the Bear. _He’s been recognized as the authority here, of course Red’s not gonna wanna break the rules._

The Lapinian could understand the adherence to authority that Red was showing; the colonist was, well, a colonist who lived on a colony planet. Blu didn’t know much about _Ursian_ colonies, but in general he knew that there was a rather strict structure on colony planets to guarantee the safety of the colonists. In Red’s mind, he realized, disobeying that authority could mean danger.

In Blu’s mind, authority _was_ danger.

Then again, Blu had never lived on Ardraw, possibly one of the most hostile habitable planets in their galaxy.

_Likewise,_ he mused, watching the blue-eyed Bear, _Red has never lived on Lapinia, possibly one of the most hostile advanced civilizations in two galaxies._

He could understand Red’s perspective.

“We’ll never figure things out if we don’t take initiative,” Blu calmly told his companion, glancing outside into the light again. “If we wait around and play it safe all the time, we’ll all end up dead.”

“You’re... more rebellious than I imagined a Lapinian being.”

_“Give me the respect I deserve, Bandi.”_

Blu flinched, unsure of _why_ his father’s words suddenly echoed through his mind.

_Curiosity is bad. Individuality is bad. Initiative is bad. Question everything but authority, always obey and play it safe. Don’t ask commanders questions, don’t tell your parents no, go where you’re told when you’re told, always-_

Swiftly, Blu shoved the voices piling up in his memories away. “We’re not _on_ Lapinia,” Blu declared, throwing the Bear’s words from before right back at him. “Lapinia’s rules don’t apply here.” He looked sharply at the Bear. “And neither do Ardraw’s.”

Red seemed somewhat surprised, but Blu turned back around before the colonist could respond.

“Look,” he continued lowly, careful to not let his voice carry over to the Lacatrans, “I know everyone’s pretty much accepted Freddy as the leader here, but Freddy’s just as clueless as the rest of us, Red. The _reason_ everyone’s recognizing his authority is because he’s taken initiative- that’s what _leaders do.”_ He frowned, tapping his foot antsily against the floor. The leaves rustled. “Followers _follow_ leaders and just do what they’re told, but guess what- if a leader doesn’t know what we’re up against, then anything he says could be just as dangerous as anything we choose to do.”

He looked back at Red, fidgeting- _why am I so worked up?_ The Bear simply watched him, apparently waiting for Blu to continue.

“About one thousand and seventy years ago,” Blu started, turning to fully face his friend, “a Lapinian commander ordered eight-hundred civilians and fifty-four military crew onto a habitable planet just into the next galaxy. The commander knew _nothing_ about the planet except that it had the necessary components for life.” Blu hated this story- no matter how many times he heard or repeated it. “What he _didn’t_ know was that the water, so important for life, had toxins in it. It _looked_ clean and it _smelled_ clean, so he didn’t bother testing it because he assumed, like military folk are prone to do on Lapinia, that the planet was just like Lapinia; that it had Layaso Silt on the riverbed filtering the water. It didn’t.

“So you know where this is going?” Blu asked Red, though he could see by the gleam in the other teen’s eye that the Bear understood perfectly well what he was saying. “They drank the water and within hours people started falling ill- _deathly_ ill. Scientists in the group started plans to test the water, but the commander said _no, it’s not the water._ Of course, being Lapinian, the civilians and scientists were _not allowed to question their authority.”_ Blu let out a breath and bit his tongue for a moment, unsure of if he should continue. It was obvious by the way Red was watching him that he understood where Blu was going.

Blu decided to continue anyway.

“One scientist tried to test the water anyway, and she was _shot dead_ for _daring_ to disobey the leader of the expedition,” he informed Red through somewhat-clenched teeth. “People were _commanded_ by their leader, who was _just as clueless as them,_ to drink water that every scientist in the group- _one of which was just killed for disobedience_ by _said leader-_ believed to be toxic. Within four days, six-hundred people were _dead.”_ He paused, shifting his weight from foot to foot, as he considered the rest of the story. “Though I guess it is poetic justice that in the end, the commander himself died, too.” He glanced towards the ceiling. “Minutes after he died, the second-in-command, who became the new leader, applied what they had experienced and _immediately_ had the water tested. Of course, it was _highly_ toxic. Fifty or so more people died before they could leave the planet and go back to Lapinia, and several died on the way back. Do you know how many made it back to Lapinia with their lives?”

“Not very many from what it sounds,” Red answered carefully, watching him.

“Eighteen,” Blu confirmed, looking back at Red. “Out of a mission of eight-hundred civilians and a military crew of fifty-four, only _eighteen_ Rabbits survived. And guess what- _they were forced to go back.”_

That was the thing Blu hated most about it. Even after everything, the Chancellor in her ignorance had just _sent them back_ with _more_ clueless people.

“They figured out how to get rid of the toxins,” Blu told the Bear, crossing his arms, “thanks to the people who _knew_ what was going on and _not_ their new leader. Instead of adhering to a single person as an authority, they actually _worked together_ under someone’s _guidance_ to figure out how to make the water safe to drink- and they did.”

“And with no help from you Lapinians,” a voice interrupted and Blu flinched, glancing back at the Lacatran brothers now standing _right behind him._ Bonnie was the one speaking, he noticed. “Just left our ancestors all alone to figure it out or die.”

“Though I guess technically speaking they _were_ Lapinians back then,” Spring gave, crossing his arms and looking at his brother.

“Certainly didn’t feel like it, I bet,” Bonnie snorted derisively, glancing towards the other Lacatran. “Didn’t hear shit from the “home planet” for seven centuries- fuck _that.”_

“Wait,” Red started, raising a brow towards the Lacatrans, “he just told me-”

“The story of Lacatra’s colonization, yeah,” Spring confirmed, barely glancing at Blu. “Gotta give you props for sounding pissed that they did that to our ancestors, though.”

Blu frowned and looked back at Red. “The point is,” he sighed, “is that what we need here isn’t _blind authority,_ what we _need_ is _teamwork_ and for everyone to _listen to each other._ Freddy means well,” he gave, “but he doesn’t know any more about this place than the rest of us. And I know he wouldn’t be a stubborn _asshole_ like that commander a millennia ago, and I know no one’s gonna kill each other... maybe,” he added, glancing accusingly at the Lacatrans. They didn’t even have the decency to look offended, simply shrugging as though his remark had merit.

_Considering the first thing they wanted to do when they saw me was kill me... yeah..._

“But,” he continued after his short pause, “no one can just be passive. We _don’t_ know what’s going on and we _don’t_ know what we’re doing, and to be honest no matter what we do we’re just a still target if we stay in one place.” He waved his hands a bit, trying to think of how to put it into words- what he saw in his dream. “At some point that red-moon thing’s gonna coincide with nighttime, in which case our strategic little clearing gig just ain’t gonna cut it- and let’s be real, those things will _totally_ destroy this shelter,” he added flatly, glancing towards the leaf ceiling.

“Running out blindly to a cave to “get answers” for a question you don’t even have isn’t gonna help anything either,” Red countered, shaking his head. “Freddy might be the “authority” of that story but you’re _definitely_ the stubborn. Take your own advice and _listen_ to others- we might not be as smart as you or the Ursians, but keep in mind that this turf is more similar to _my_ planet than yours.”

“Wait, are you two having an argument?” Bonnie suddenly asked warily. Blu didn’t even glance back at him, instead watching Red in surprise.

_Have I really not been listening...?_

“I never said-” he started, but Red immediately cut him off.

“There’s such thing as reading between the lines,” he stated matter-of-factly, crossing his arms and watching Blu. “You, Freddy, Gold- all three of you are guilty of it. You three are from the most advanced planets which just _happen_ to own ours’, and yes, we noticed you three were the ones taking control of pretty much every situation and calling every shot,” the Bear added almost snarkily, raising a brow at Blu. The Lapinian wasn’t sure how to respond- this lecture wasn’t like the ones his parents always gave him. “And even _now_ you’re dismissing my concerns over _your_ safety. We’re not blind. Maybe you didn’t _mean_ to come across like that, and maybe _they_ don’t mean to come across as a controlling authority, but you’re _all_ guilty of it.”

And wasn’t it true, Blu mused, furrowing his brow as he really considered the Ardrawn’s words. _Freddy took control, Goldie’s his right-hand Bear, and I’m stubbornly doing only what_ I _think is right... Oh no, I’m on of_ those _people now, aren’t I?_

“We,” Red continued with his lecture- or was it a rant? Blu wasn’t sure anymore, “with the exception of the Lacatrans, just followed because it seemed reasonable, but you do _not_ get to lecture _anyone_ on “working together” and “listening to each other” when _you’re_ the one who is _continually_ running off on your own and not listening to a damned thing anyone else tells you. You’re not the only one who understands the gravity of this situation, you know!”

The Rabbit thought that was the end of it, but then Red added, “And _maybe_ Freddy would be more inclined to listen _if you told him what’s going on with you._ Until you tell him the things you _saw,”_ he said accusingly, “you’re nothing but a depressed, flighty _child_ in his eyes, regardless of your race, age or intelligence.”

Blu blinked at Red, somewhat shocked that the Bear would bring up his dreams or... visions, or whatever they were. The two Lacatrans behind him had fallen into an unnerving silence during the Bear’s lecture- _rant? Speech? More like a deserved tongue-lashing-_ and Blu _knew_ the Foxes and Humans were watching them.

_And that thing._

After several seconds of silence, the Lapinian sighed. “I guess I deserved that,” he admitted, watching his companion. Red actually looked surprised that he would admit it- and that made Blu feel bad. _He thought I’d deny it._ “Sorry,” Blu added, glancing aside nervously. “I didn’t- I didn’t mean to sound like-”

“I know,” Red cut him off. “Just _listen_ to others more, okay? There’s a time and place for everything, but not every moment of every day needs a dose of rebellious Rabbit genius.”

Blu snorted at that, shaking his head and looking back at the colonist- _maybe I should stop thinking in terms of colonist or not._ “When you find the genius Rabbit, tell me- I feel pretty stupid right now,” he told the Bear wryly.

“You just need a helping of reality,” Red stated, waving a hand dismissively. “Just stop acting that way- I know you don’t mean to but it’s really unbecoming of you.”

“Blame my parents,” Blu sighed, shrugging. “And society.”

“That was a short-lived argument,” Spring noted from behind Blu, apparently deciding that they were no longer at risk of getting pulled into an argument between two people they didn’t like.

“Surprisingly peaceful end, too,” Bonnie added. Blu didn’t bother glancing back at them, not wanting to acknowledge their observation.

“How about we get out of the hut now,” Red suggested to Blu, glancing up towards the ceiling. “Starting to feel a little claustrophobic in here.”

“Claustrophobic?” Blu repeated, frowning. “What does _that_ mean?”

There was a brief silence and Blu had a feeling he just _sounded_ even more stupid than he felt. “I’ll explain it to you later,” Red decided, shaking his head and walking towards the door. Blu turned around and went outside, noting that the Lacatrans had stepped aside and were watching him strangely.

_What did I do?_

“That being said,” Red started lowly, falling into step next to Blu as they walked across the clearing, “once we know more about what’s going on and we actually talk to Freddy, we can go find that cave you mentioned.”

_It’s a compromise._

“Right,” Blu agreed, giving the Bear a small smile. “We’ll give it some time.”

Somehow, he noticed, even though Red just lectured the _hell_ out of him, he didn’t... _feel_ too bad about it. In fact it was almost welcomed- like the Bear had finally said something that Blu _needed_ to hear.

_Wanted_ to hear.

_“You’re a genius, Bandi. You’re better than your colleagues.”_

_“You might be smart but you’re no better than the rest of us.”_

He liked the thought of being an equal instead.

_Maybe not knowing everything isn’t so bad after all._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, as I was reading before I realized that Blu was being a right prat about everything and was sorta acting like a know-it-all, so I felt like he (as well as Freddy and Goldie, though Goldie hasn't done much) needed to be hit with the fish of reality.


	15. Breathe

“We should really help them with the whole “food” thing, don’t you think?”

Shafred glanced up from the log he was reading, looking over towards Bonsha leaning over the holo-center. The pale eyes were set firmly on the screen, a small frown on the Rabbit’s face. “Are you talking about those twelve on H3MR-2X again?” Shafred asked, raising a brow over at his companion.

“Yes,” Bonsha confirmed, hardly glancing over at him.

“You seem very invested in them,” Shafred noted. The Rabbit looked at him sharply, his eyes strangely guarded, but Shafred didn’t back down. He kept contact with those silver eyes.

Sometimes he wondered what the Rabbit was thinking.

“I’m not invested in them,” Bonsha finally stated, shaking his head. “It just... displeases me that _my_ experiment has been hijacked and turned into a _show_ for Fueller.” The Rabbit turned back towards the screen, tapping a few times on the console. “Fueller wants to see them fail and is setting up this experiment for failure. Therefore, I will throw it in his face and make sure they succeed.”

“You’re angry.”

“Don’t be absurd, Shafred, anger is illogical,” the dark-furred Rabbit dismissed carelessly. “Not to mention impossible for those of us in Phantom’s Eye.”

Shafred eyed his companion, debating on whether or not he should contest the Rabbit’s words. “You’re acting strangely vindictive, Bonsha.”

“The experiment’s been compromised already,” Bonsha stated matter-of-factly. “We woke an enemy they can’t defeat alone, the least we could do is help them survive.”

“They’re not alone,” Shafred reminded the Rabbit, tapping on the log and making it disappear. He stood up and approached Bonsha, glancing at the holo-screen as he did. The subjects seemed to be talking as they rested, a partially-built roof the only evidence of what they were resting from. “They have the Teppupian.”

“They don’t know that, and the Teppupian cannot help them with their food problem.” Bonsha switched the screen to a different camera and the image of two Chickens and a Human collecting water from the river came up on the screen. Their “buckets” were crude at best, obviously carved with an equally-crude tool, but effective for their purpose.

“So Fueller wishes to make this as hard as possible,” Shafred hummed, leaning against the console and watching Bonsha. The Rabbit glanced up at him. “And you want to make it easy.”

“Not easy,” Bonsha corrected. “Just doable. As it is right now, they don’t have nearly enough to sustain themselves and the shadow beasts will kill them by the third Blood, especially if they try the old villages. It is impossible for them to survive this no matter how well they work together.” He turned back to the screen, watching as the camera followed their subjects. “If the shadow beasts had not been awakened and the Blood not been started, they could have survived within the parameters we had set. Simply put, I want to give them a chance to live. There is nothing illogical about that.”

The Bear didn’t buy it for one second but he backed down anyway. That was a path Bonsha clearly did not want to explore... not that Shafred could blame him. It meant confronting a reality neither of them wanted to think about- one that had been underlying every interaction, every word and every action. Not just with them but with their bosses- with their comrades and colleagues, with the entire society as a whole...

No, that was a conversation Shafred didn’t want to get into, either, and he certainly was not about to push a topic that could only lead to that conversation.

“What did you have in mind?” he asked instead, watching his partner. Bonsha looked at him, an unusual spark in his eyes.

“Where’s Fritz?”

* * *

Morning faded into afternoon, and afternoon faded into evening as everyone worked on building a proper roof for the shelter. Blu stuck close to Red, helping the Bear where he could and staying out of the way where he couldn’t. The Chickens, with the help of the Humans, broke away at some point to work on food- an assortment of fruits and nuts found out in the woods, Blu noted warily- but aside from the four of them, everyone else was working on making their shelter safer.

Blissfully, the moons did not turn red.

By the time they all stopped to eat, Blu could feel the ache setting into his bones.

 _Man, this makes working on that damn ship look like child’s play,_ he thought pathetically, leaning back on his hands. _Then again, I had machines to lift everything heavy. Ugh._ He hesitated to accept the food offered to him, but one stern look from Red told him that if he didn’t then there would be hell to pay. _This stuff tastes weird but no one’s dead yet, I suppose..._

He accepted the assortment of nuts and berries, eying them warily, and settled down in his spot. The sun was hanging low on the horizon and the trees cast long shadows but the firelight seemed to chase them away. Beyond the flames and past the white and pink fox, Blu’s eyes landed on that strange pale face.

It was watching him, he noticed- black eyes zeroed in on his. Somewhere in the back of his head he felt a dull ache, strangely familiar by then. However when there was no voice or image, he tore his gaze away to look back at the fire, frowning.

“Supposedly there’s something you need to tell us, Bandi?”

Blinking, he looked towards the golden bear who had finally broken the silence. “Huh?”

“Fredric told us you needed to tell us something,” Freddy expanded easily enough, raising a brow at Blu. “Something about strange dreams?”

Blu shot Red a look and the Bear looked somewhat apologetic. “Well I didn’t expect it to come up around the campfire,” he deadpanned, picking a berry up out of his hand and scrutinizing it. He wasn’t sure how he felt about those berries and he was confident they, along with the nuts, couldn’t sustain them all forever, but it was all they had. That didn’t mean he had to like it though.

“To be fair, if you have something to say it’s best to say it to everyone, not a select few,” Goldie pointed out, shrugging slightly as he did.

“Weren’t you the one saying something about working together and equal forces instead of authority, anyway?” Bonnie snorted, shaking his head. “But whatever, what the hell importance could _dreams_ have?”

“Actually, it’s kinda weird,” Blu mused, just looking at the berry in his hand. “The first time I didn’t think it was a dream. I’ve never had dreams before.”

“That’s weird.”

“Not really,” Freddy sighed, leaning forward. “It’s believed that dreams are partially an evolutionary defense. Lapinians have no purpose for it so it probably would have at the very least lessened. If Lapinians still dream I doubt they would have any recollection when they wake.”

“Dreaming’s evolutionary?” Mike muttered to Jeremy who simply shrugged in response.

“It happens,” Blu conceded, shrugging and glancing skywards. The light had begun to fade from the sky and the moons were slowly approaching one another, barely visible through the trees. “But these were... weird. It’s like...” he didn’t know how to explain it. Struggling for words, he looked over at Red as if the Bear could help him.

“I think,” Red started, “that you said it has something to do with a... shadow, or something?”

Blu’s eyes flicked towards the pale face, but it was no longer there. “Right,” he muttered, his gaze falling back to the berry. “The shadow. I... geez, how many nights ago was _that?_ It just touched me and I saw things- the moons, the shadow _things,_ the villages, the villagers...” _And I saw blood._ Them _covered in blood. All of them._

_I saw Lapinia under attack._

_What does that mean?_

“Wait,” Goldie started cautiously, “you mean something _did_ touch you? That _wasn’t_ a trick of the firelight?”

Blu just nodded, not looking up at them. He didn’t want to sound insane. “And there was this... voice. It said to not follow the paths.”

“And that’s when you decided to race off _to_ one of said paths,” Mike deadpanned.

“I wasn’t thinking straight,” Blu defended, huffing and dropping the berry back into his hand. He honestly didn’t feel hungry. “It also told me to go to the caves to find answers but I don’t actually know what the question even is,” he added flatly, glancing over at Red. “I think it has something to do with why the moons turn red, though.”

“I hadn’t even noticed the moons turned red,” Spring commented lowly to his brother. Bonnie simply shrugged in response.

“Just saying, you sound crazy as fuck,” Bonnie informed Blu.

“Thank you for explaining perfectly how I feel.”

“You’re welcome.”

It was sarcastic but strangely not hostile. Blu decided not to question it, instead simply accepting it as it was.

“So,” Foxy started slowly, “are ye just _acceptin’_ weird dreams as bein’ real?”

“Well I hope they’re not _all_ real,” Blu immediately started, glancing up at them. “I mean some of the things I saw and heard were true, but then there were things that... well... didn’t happen and I definitely don’t _want_ them to happen.”

“Isn’t it a bit illogical to think something in your head is real?” Spring questioned, raising a brow at him. “Isn’t that what you Lapinians are all about- logic and reason?”

“You don’t know _anything_ about Lapinia,” Blu snorted, looking away. “If there’s one thing we know about this planet it’s that we’re definitely not alone here.” His eyes landed on the pale face, just inside the shadows. No one else seemed to notice it. “We don’t know how anything works, either. There’s been evidence in your galaxy,” he nodded towards the Lacatrans, “of two or more races that have a hivemind or telepathic communication at the very least, and even some really, _really_ old ruins have been found in _this_ galaxy hinting at it, but everything’s too damaged for us to figure it out.”

“So this thing may have set up a telepathic connection with you?” Red surmised, raising a brow.

“Well I hope not,” Blu grumbled. “If it did, it did a shit job at it- I’m Lapinian, I _can’t_ _do_ that.”

_“My apologies, Bandi Cator, but you were more capable than the rest.”_

He winced and glanced towards the shadows again. Those eyes were still watching him. Annoyingly, it looked _amused._

_Yeah, screw you too, buddy._

“Bandi?”

Blinking, he looked back towards Freddy. The others were all giving him a strange look. “What?”

“What was that about?”

“What was what about?”

“You winced,” Red told him, “then muttered something.” He watched as the Bear’s gaze slipped past him, towards the shadows where he was looking. Blu glanced over his shoulder and was unsurprised to find it had disappeared.

“It was nothing,” he chose to say, shrugging and looking back at the nuts and berries in his hands.

“You’re a terrible liar.”

“I dunno, I got pretty good at it on Lapinia,” he hummed mindlessly, picking a berry up again. Curiously, he poked a hole in it with his nail. The juice was tinted reddish-orange and it was an interesting colour, Blu thought.

Like the colour of the sunset in his dream.

“But I’m not lying,” he added, frowning and glancing at Red. “It was nothing.”

“If you say so,” Red sighed, shaking his head. Clearly he didn’t believe him.

None of them did, Blu realized, but he gave it no thought. Instead, he glanced up towards the twin moons.

They seemed to hang in the sky, neither moving. The stars twinkled around them, mostly drowned out by the fire next to him; the sun had finally set, leaving the sky an inky black. It interested Blu, the sight of a starlit sky.

He had seen pictures and videos, of course- he had studied three separate astronomies, after all- and had viewed starcharts and holoscreens with his classmates... but somehow seeing the stars like that... it was strange. It was odd.

Blu had never seen the stars with his own eyes before.

* * *

 When all was silent in the shelter, Blu opened his eyes and glanced around. Sitting up carefully, so as not to disturb the Bear or Human on either side of him, he looked at the crackling fire. Foxy was sitting next to it, amusing himself by poking it with a stick. The Fox didn’t seem to notice him, so engrossed in the flames as he was, but Blu moved carefully anyway.

The Fox gave no reaction, so Blu stood up carefully and stepped around his friend, watching the Fox until he was behind the Vulpinian. As quietly as he could, he pushed the door open. Thankfully it made no sound.

Foxy’s ears twitched but, beyond that, there was no reaction.

He slipped out the door and carefully set it back into place. The chilled air of the night immediately engulfed Blu but he ignored it, instead turning and heading out into the woods.

Blu couldn’t take it anymore- he couldn’t stand the scent clinging to his fur or the feeling of grime on his skin. _Maybe I am more spoiled than I thought,_ he mused, making his way through the woods.

The silver moonlight lit the world up around him well enough. The forest was silent, nothing but the wind daring to make a sound.

He sighed and closed his eyes for a brief moment, enjoying the peace. _Thinking about it, Foxy’s a pretty bad sentry. He didn’t even notice me stand up and walk out the door..._

Suddenly, Blu felt himself collide with something- something that was _running-_ and his eyes flew open as he fell backwards, a muted squeal in his throat.

He tumbled with the mystery being and hit the ground hard, gasping as the air was knocked out of him, and whatever landed on him groaned in pain. Blu felt almost paralyzed, eyes wide.

Silver eyes peered down at him- _silver, not white-_ and Blu registered that this being was just barely taller than himself. Pure black fur, long ears on top of his head-

It was a Rabbit, he realized, eyes widening.

“Who-” he started, but then the Rabbit slammed his hands over Blu’s mouth.

“Shut up,” the Rabbit hissed, glancing around. “If I’m found out here, I am _so_ dead,” he muttered to the blue Rabbit, and Blu realized suddenly that the creature was speaking in Lapinian.

_He’s Lapinian._

He couldn’t speak with the other’s hands over his mouth, so he tried to grab his arms and pry the hands away. The black Rabbit didn’t budge. He was stronger than any Lapinian Blu had met and that frightened him.

“Forget that you saw me,” the other Lapinian growled quietly, looking at Blu almost threateningly. “Don’t even _think_ about mentioning me- I’m not here, I’m just your imagination and this is just a dream. Mention me and I _will_ find out, got it?” Blu had no idea how to respond, staring wide-eyed at the stranger.

He wasn’t given a chance to respond, however, as the taller Rabbit pushed himself up to his feet and ran off into the forest. Blu sat up, his heart racing and hands trembling, and watched as the Rabbit disappeared into the shadows, his fur blending in perfectly. It was almost as though the Rabbit had been a shadow all along.

After a few moments, Blu realized, there weren’t even footprints on the ground. _Maybe it_ was _my imagination,_ he thought, knowing that he was lying to himself but too scared- for a reason he just couldn’t explain- to consider it having been anything else.

After all, if there were actually _people_ on the planet... what did that mean?

_He wasn’t like anything I saw in the visions._

Visibly shaken, Blu climbed up to his feet. The forest fell back into silence again and it was almost too easy to dismiss what had just happened as a dream.

Almost.

 _“Interesting,”_ that voice murmured in his ear, causing Blu to freeze up again. _“I was not expecting that. Be careful, Bandi Cator- things are getting... dangerous.”_

Then the voice melted away and a hand landed on his shoulder. “Lad,” Foxy’s voice growled, “what in the world d’ye think ye be doin’ out here?”

“I don’t even know anymore,” Blu muttered, too shocked to care about Foxy’s hand on his shoulder. “Am I awake...?”

The Fox said nothing, just turned Blu around and marched him back towards the hut. “Whether ye are or not, get inside- it be cold out here, and I won’t have them Bears blamin’ me if ye freeze.”

Blu’s gaze flicked to the sky. The moons were hanging in the air, closer to one another than they had been when the sun set hours before. In fact, Blu mused, they were hardly centimeters apart to the eye- it looked as though they would be passing by one another within minutes.

_What happens when the moons meet?_

“‘Sides, who knows what be out here- could be a number o’ things that could kill any o’ us.”

_When they were red, they were always side by side. Maybe they only turn red within a certain distance to each other...?_

“What if them shadow things came back, hm? Then ye’d be fucked, lad! It’s best to just stay inside, aye.”

_Oh, don’t be ridiculous, Blu- moons don’t have, like, supernatural properties or something. The supernatural doesn’t even exist, anyway- there’s definitely a scientific reason behind what’s happening._

Blu’s eyes watched as the moons slowly began passing by each other... and, as they did, he noticed the edges start to turn red. He tilted his head curiously at it, allowing the Fox to talk- though he had long since stopped paying attention- and guide him back towards the camp.

 _It’s only red where they’re parallel,_ he noticed, watching the light slowly changing- crawling across the moons so slowly, turning the silver to blood.

Almost like a disease.

 _How strange,_ he wondered, ears twitching as, almost instantly, sounds began echoing around them- breathing, footsteps, low growling... suddenly Foxy stopped talking and froze. _I wonder how it turns so red._

“Now probably isn’t the best time to stop walking,” Blu noted unnecessarily, dropping his gaze to the shelter just yards in front of them. “In fact I think now is the perfect time to run these last few feet.”

“Agreed,” Foxy muttered. With that, he grabbed Blu’s arm and practically dragged the Rabbit back to the shelter, neither choosing to comment on the snarls sounding around them.

“We need to light up this clearing,” Blu noted, looking around the dark clearing- it was slowly turning red and redder as the moons continued to change.

“Not now, Bandi,” Foxy huffed, pulling the door open and shoving him inside. It was the moment he was back in the firelight that Blu remembered just _how damn cold it is, geez my hands and feet are numb._ He turned around and watched as the Fox knelt down in front of the door, bracing himself against it as if he’d be strong enough to prevent the shadows from coming inside.

“We should make a lock,” Blu mumbled, glancing around. “Should we wake the others?”

It didn’t matter, though; even as he said it a loud, angry shriek echoed outside the shelter, and almost immediately the Lacatran brothers were on their feet and the Ursians weren’t far after.

Blu carefully made his way back to Red, who was standing up warily. “Are those things around again?” he asked, glancing at Blu.

“Yeah,” Blu confirmed, looking over towards Foxy. “They seem to come out when the moons are red, and the moons seem to turn red when they’re beside each other. Don’t quote me on that, though- not enough evidence,” he added with a shrug, watching Freddy glance over at him.

“You went outside,” Red sighed. Blu didn’t look at him. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

“Well now we know stay inside when the moons are near each other, so there,” Blu countered, sitting down. He could hear the grass crunching beneath feet outside. _Large_ feet. A growl filled the air. “Hey, if we survive this, we should figure out a way to light the clearing.”

“That'd be almost impossible without slow-burning substances,” Goldie informed the Rabbit. “We only have fire to work with here, we can’t just flip a switch and wood burns too quickly.”

“I know,” Blu sighed, leaning on his hand. The dull ache in the back of his head flared up and he instinctively closed his eyes.

_He was at the ocean. He knew, he could hear it behind him; he was staring at the forest in the sunlight, and one moon was rising on the horizon. The other was nowhere in sight. Slowly, he turned left and began walking along the shoreline, just out of reach of the freezing water._

“So what can we even do?” Bonnie asked, aggravation clear in his tone. He apparently didn’t like being so powerless.

“We just sit and wait,” Freddy answered, sounding equally discontented with this solution. “Until we can figure out a way to actually fight back or at least defend ourselves.”

 _He kept walking until he reached a small stream, clear water running down the hill and into the ocean. He could practically see where the fresh water glided over the top of the salt water, not dispersing until a wave crashed over it several yards into the sea. It was a strange sight- he was sure water didn’t_ do _that. It just mixed._

The sea water must be really dense, _he realized, watching as the foam- not foam, ice he realized, it was ice all along- collected on the sand and melted away almost as soon as the water had pulled back._ Denser and colder. _It was strange._

“So until then we just sit around and wait to see if we’ll survive, huh?” Mangle snarked. Tempers were running and patience was wearing thin.

There was a loud scratching at the door and an angry snarl.

“How ‘bout one o’ ye lads help me with the door?!”

_He stepped into the water, hardly flinching as the thin layer of ice shattered around his foot. It was a strange sensation- the sun beating down on his head and shoulders while the cold lapped around his ankle and climbed up his leg. He didn’t let it deter him, however, and he kept walking deeper into the water._

I’m taller, _he suddenly realized, wading through the sea. His eyes were on the stream on top of the sea water, following it right up to where the waves broke and crashed down- it was about chest-height, and he noted that in his dream by this time it had been well over his head. He braced himself as the wave broke over him. He didn’t budge. Opening his eyes, he watched as the stream continued forwards..._

_He dove._

Blu breathed in sharply and tensed up. He started to open his eyes but it felt like... _something_ was stopping him.

 _“Continue watching, Bandi Cator,”_ the voice rasped in his ear- in his mind? _“You won’t be harmed. I give you my word.”_

He had to focus on keeping his breathing normal, but _he was under the water, the salt stinging his eyes as he swam down. His lungs burned from lack of air. He swam down, down, down but it never became dark- as though the light shone through the water as easily as it had the canopy. He reached out a hand- long, thin fingers, pure black and smooth and blemish-free- and ran his fingers through the silt, clamping them around like the claws they resembled. He pulled his hand back, the silt swirling around in the current, and pushed himself back up towards the surface._

“Blu?” Red hissed, but Blu didn’t open his eyes. He was struggling to keep his breathing regular- trying to keep his own actions separate from what was happening in his mind. Apparently, though, he wasn’t doing a good job. “Blu, breathe...”

_He broke the surface of the sea and breathed in sharply right before a wave crashed into him, but rather than fight it he let it push him back towards the shore. As soon as he could, he planted his feet firmly in the sand and fought his way through the water, holding the silt securely in his hands above the water._

“For fuck’s sake, _open your eyes,_ Cator!” That sounded strangely like Bonnie, but he still couldn’t force himself to respond.

 _“Watch,”_ the voice whispered and Blu just _knew_ it was the reason he couldn’t open his eyes- he could barely even breathe. _Am I shivering? It’s so cold..._

 _He pulled himself back on shore, ice clinging to his skin-_ yes skin not fur this is skin. _He didn’t have much to lose at that point- at least it didn’t_ feel _like it- so rather than stop to try and warm up he continued up the hill and back into the forest._

_There was a small hole-like cave, and calling it a cave was being generous. Silt still in hand, he slipped inside the hole and dropped down into what was a proper cavern- it was small with not much space in it, but a cavern still._

_It wasn’t dark._

“What’s wrong with him?” That was Chii, right next to him. “He hasn’t responded for ages now...!” She sounded concerned.

“He’s definitely conscious,” Red muttered and Blu could just barely feel his hand on his shoulder through the numbing chill.

 _He looked down at the silt in his hand to find it was_ glowing.

 _It was glowing._ That’s why it wasn’t dark, _he realized._ But how can silt glow? How can sediment be... luminescent? _There must have been a chemical compound inside it-_ this is where the fresh water and the salt water mix. It’s a reaction? Geez, what’s in the water here, then? Now I’m thinking twice about drinking it-

 _“Focus, Bandi Cator,”_ the voice chastised, reminding Blu that there was a reason for all of this. _“The water isn’t dangerous, don’t worry.”_

“Jesus Christ, Blu, you’re really starting to worry us,” Jeremy said. Blu wanted to respond but he couldn’t, all he could see was _the silt in his hand glowing, lighting up the cave. The light didn’t seem to fade even as he dropped it on the ground, watching it splat with a squelchy, almost solid sound._

 _Well this is all well and good,_ Blu thought towards the voice, _but I can’t swim in still water, let alone a sea- this doesn’t help me at all!_

 _“You don’t need to swim,”_ the voice responded simply and Blu could feel it finally releasing its hold on him. _“I only showed you where to find the sand. You can figure out where to go from there.”_

Then it was gone and Blu found himself suddenly gasping.

“Blu?” Red started, clearly alarmed, and Blu opened his eyes finally.

Red was kneeling in front of him, concern reflecting in his eyes. Across the shelter Foxy and Goldie were braced against the door, and Freddy and the Lacatran brothers were standing way too close for Blu’s comfort. Chii and Jeremy were behind him, he noticed, and Chica, Mangle, and Mike looked torn between helping the Fox and Bear and going over to join them.

“What the hell was that about?” Bonnie questioned, shaking his head at Blu.

“You started breathing funny and wouldn’t respond,” Chii told him, reaching out to touch his arm. Blu, without really thinking about it, ducked away from her hand.

“I’m fine,” he told them, pushing Red’s hand off of his shoulder. “I’m fine.”

“Fine? We were pretty well convinced you were dying over here,” Spring scoffed, shaking his head.

“It’s like yesterday morning,” Red suddenly said, looking at Blu with a furrowed brow. Blu glanced over at him.

“Yeah, it was,” he repeated, confirming Red’s thoughts without telling the others anything. “Strange, isn’t it?”

“Perhaps,” Red muttered, leaning back on his heels. “Perhaps not.”

Blu shrugged. “I’ll tell you later,” he decided to say, refusing to look at the others. “It’s hard to explain.”

_I feel like I’m going insane._

_But... I think I have an idea._

* * *

 

"That was a risky move you pulled, Bonsha," Shafred sighed, watching his companion sit down next to the console. Bonsha simply looked at him, silver eyes sharp.

"Everything went perfectly according to plan," the Rabbit told him, turning back to the holoscreen. "I succeeded in my mission."

"Both missions, you mean."

"Yes, and I successfully avoided dying along the way."

"You didn't tell me you were going to conveniently run into the Lapinian five minutes before the Blood started," Shafred commented, leaning against the back of his chair.

"It wasn't in the original plan, I admit- but he was outside and the new experiment would be all but ruined if he died," Bonsha stated, typing something out onto a keypad. He barely glanced up at Shafred. "How did you alert the Fox that the Lapinian was missing, anyway?"

"That doesn't matter. How do you know the Lapinian won't tell the others of your presence?"

"Easy," Bonsha chuckled, hitting a final button on the console. The screens went dark and Shafred knew that the footage of the Rabbit outside would be _conveniently_ wiped from the camera logs... as well as Bonsha's little unauthorized trip. "Lapinians are very one-tracked. He has a million other things to focus on, a Rabbit who might not have even been real won't concern him long-term."

"You put a lot of faith into the Lapinian's upbringing."

"No matter how different he is, he's still just a Lapinian."

"Would you say the same for yourself?"

Bonsha paused and glanced over at him, eyes guarded yet again. "I gave that up when I joined Phantom's Eye, Shafred. I'm not Lapinian anymore."

The Bear simply shook his head, watching as the Rabbit stood up and walked across the room to the door. "You can only lie for so long," he warned the Rabbit. "I know exactly what you are doing."

The Rabbit didn't even glance over his shoulder as he said, "Then you know why I am doing it." Shafred didn't respond, simply watching as his companion left the room. All that was left was the static on screen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What IS Bonsha up to, I wonder...  
> And what the hell was that trip through Blu's head to a place he's never been before  
> The fuck is up with this planet  
> Why didn't the shadow things destroy the shelter like they were all sure they could
> 
> Well... you'll find out eventually.


	16. Earth is Confusing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kinda filler, but the info Blu learns in this chapter actually does come back later so it's not COMPLETELY filler.

Blu wasn’t sure when the shadows went away, but he found himself being shaken awake at some point. Blinking awake and peering at the Fox in front of him, he realized sunlight was trickling through the open door.

_I fell asleep,_ he realized as Foxy pat his shoulder and stood up, not saying a word. _How did I fall asleep?_

A yawn interrupted his thoughts and he covered his mouth. After a few moments he dropped his hand down and pushed himself up off of the floor, tiredly making his way over to the door. Outside was the typical sight- some people were missing from the clearing, others seemed to be working on something- _protection, maybe?-_ and the rest were just sitting as though waiting for news.

The Rabbit stepped out of the hut and glanced around, quickly locating Red and heading his way. Before he had gotten two steps, however, he heard Mike call out, “Hey, Blu!” Pausing, the blue Rabbit turned to look at the Human, raising a questioning brow. The darker-haired Human gestured for him to come over.

Shrugging slightly, Blu made his way over to the Terr- _Earthling,_ he reminded himself, and sat down next to him. Jeremy, on Mike’s other side, was grinning. “Yeah?”

Mike held up something small- just barely the size of his palm, Blu noted. It was a blue rectangle and it seemed to have a screen of some kind, which was a little cracked. A strangely stringy thing- _a chord,_ he realized, remembering the pictures from history books- was attached to it, splitting about three-quarters of the way down into two different nub-like things.

Blu had _no idea whatsoever_ what he was supposed to be looking at. “What’s... that?” he asked, confused.

“It’s a music player,” Mike told him, then said something that simply didn’t translate in Blu’s mind. He picked up the nubs at the end of the chord and held them out to him. “Here, have a listen!”

The Rabbit glanced at the nubs- buds- whatever- before looking back at Mike, confused. “What am I supposed to do with those?”

“Put them in your ears,” Mike explained, dropping the two little things in his hand. “When I turn the-” there went that word again, the one that Blu could not decipher. _MP3? Sounds like a planet._ “-on, sound will come out through the ear buds.”

It took a few moments for Blu to register the words, looking at the ear buds then back at the Human a few times. Finally he said, “Wait, correct me if I’m wrong, but you want me to put sound-transfer devices in my ears.” Mike nodded, though his brow went up. “As in, in my ear canal.” Another nod. “Right next to my ear drums.” Yet another nod. Blu looked at him incredulously, somewhat horrified. “No wonder you Humans have such bad hearing.”

Jeremy snorted and fell backwards in the grass, laughing, and Mike looked a bit put out. “Don’t worry,” Mike assured him, “the sound’s on low, just try it. Before the battery dies.”

“I don’t want to put something that’s been in _someone else’s_ ears in _mine,”_ Blu told him, shaking his head. “Do you even _know_ what kind of-”

“Don’t worry, I cleaned them,” the Human sighed as Jeremy just laughed harder. “Please? You might just find you like it!”

Blu eyed him warily, suddenly realizing something. _I don’t remember ever telling these guys we don’t do music..._ “How did you know we don’t have similar devices on Lapinia?”

Jeremy stopped laughing and Mike blinked, as if surprised, before grinning sheepishly. “I don’t,” he admitted, “but some of the things you said kinda suggested you guys don’t have real music. Um, something about a _Chaska_ but, y’know... C’mon, Blu, just try it. If you like playing an instrument you’ll like this.”

_They talked to Freddy,_ Blu surmised, watching the two Humans silently. He could tell they weren’t telling the entire truth- oh sure, maybe they _did_ assume based on what he’d said before, but... _you might just find you like it._ The Human had said those words- as though he’d never heard real music before. _To be fair, he could have been talking about the music player,_ he reasoned with himself, glancing down at the earbuds again.

“You’re _sure_ this thing’s not gonna make me go deaf?” he asked, looking back at Mike.

“Here, I’ll turn it on and prove it to you,” Mike hummed, holding down on a button on the side of the music player. After a few seconds the screen lit up, and Mike began touching and hitting a few words on it.

Suddenly, sound blared from the earbuds and, startled, Blu dropped them. He looked at Mike, raising a brow as the Human rushed to turn the volume down.

“Haha, oops,” Mike laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I forgot to turn it down, I guess.”

“I agree with Blu,” Jeremy snorted, “How are you not deaf?”

“Oh shut up,” the darker-haired man huffed as Blu picked the ear buds up again. The sound was much quieter now, he could just barely pick up on it. “C’mon, bunny, don’t be nervous, it’s just music.”

“Don’t call me bunny,” Blu muttered before, hesitantly, doing as he was told and putting the ear buds in his ear.

It was among the strangest feelings he’d ever experienced.

The music wasn’t obnoxiously loud and there were instruments he’d never even heard of, and a voice speaking words he couldn’t decipher at all- but the words rolled off their tongue, smooth and lovely and Blu wondered what that voice was saying- _singing._

The strange part, however, was how the music felt like it was in his _head_ instead of his ears. It drowned out the sound of Jeremy’s laughter, of the Lacatrans’ conversation across the clearing, of the wind in the trees, everything. He blinked and tilted his head; somewhere in the background he could swear he heard a Chaska.

He hated to admit that he liked it.

Pulling the earbuds out the sounds of the real world returned and he looked at Mike, who was looking oh so smug. “So?” the Human asked.

Blu stuck his tongue out. “Okay,” he started, “the music thing’s pretty cool. The ear bud part, not so much.” Mike snorted, turning the music device off.

“Fair,” his companion said, shrugging. “But hey, you tried it so that’s good.”

“Why did you want me to listen to that?” Blu asked after a few moments of contemplation. “I couldn’t understand a word of it.”

“That’s because that was a Spanish song,” Mike admitted sheepishly, grinning. “I listen to a lot of songs in other languages.”

Blinking, Blu tilted his head. “Spanish...?”

“Another language on Earth,” Jeremy provided, grinning.

Blu stared at him. “You mean you have more than one language on your planet?”

The Humans shared a look. “Uh, yeah,” Mike started with a nod, looking back at Blu. “For example, my, uh, my parents speak German and, like, not a lick of English.”

It almost boggled Blu’s mind- sure, different _planets_ had different languages, but different land masses on the _same_ planet? “How the hell does that work?” he found himself asking, shaking his head. _How does their Chancellor control different regions with different languages? It makes no sense- it’s hard enough for Lapinia to keep its grip on Lacatra and their language is just an evolved form of ours…_

Mike and Jeremy looked at him, as if they didn’t understand his question. “What d’you mean?” Jeremy asked, raising a slender brow.

“I mean,” the Rabbit started, grappling for words, “how do government officials communicate with the people in other languages?”

“Interpreters and translators,” Mike answered, waving his hand in the air dismissively. “We have linguists and translators, plus people who are just multi-lingual. Communication isn’t that hard when you have the right tools and services.

Blu just tilted his head, scrunching up his brow. “Sounds very complicated. Isn’t it easier to just have a single language for the whole planet?”

“That would erase culture,” Jeremy countered without missing a beat. “Plus, these languages have been around for thousands of years- it’s, like, part of peoples’ identity!”

_Culture? Identity?_ Blu didn’t really understand why this seemed important, but Mike was nodding knowingly. “What do you mean by that?” he finally asked, realizing that neither of them were explaining. It felt like he was missing something very obvious. “I mean... you’re all Earthlings, right? So why is culture affected?”

Realization- _about what?-_ dawned in Jeremy’s eyes. “Oh,” he uttered, shaking his head slightly. Blu was lost. “No, no, Blu, culture doesn’t pertain to an entire planet. Earth is not galactic and doesn’t know about other planets being populated,” he began explaining and Blu’s ears perked, happy to finally get a straight answer. “Culture on Earth varies on region- what climate you live in, what language you speak, what religion you have, what country you live in, and in many cases what state _inside_ that country you live in.” _And I’m lost again._

“Wait, slow down,” Blu interrupted before Jeremy could continue. “I’m sorry,” he apologized sheepishly, wringing his hands together as he glanced aside, “but my planet doesn’t have, well, _any_ of those. I don’t- I don’t know what “country” or “state” is,” he admitted, feeling almost ashamed at not knowing something that must have been so elementary to the Humans. “And, uh, religion on Lapinia is dead... and we all speak the same language everywhere, and live the same way, and cli-”

“We get it,” Mike cut him off, setting a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. “Okay, let’s start over, and we’ll go over this slowly. Let’s begin with co...”

* * *

Bonnie had no idea what was happening anymore.

It was somewhat frustrating to him that Fredric seemed to know _exactly_ what was going on, calmly accepting things and able to perfectly understand what creepy, cryptic things the Lapinian was choosing to share.

_Something to do with dreams,_ he mused dryly, glancing across the clearing towards the blue Rabbit in question. Cator was silent, listening attentively to whatever the Humans were saying. Jeremy seemed to have located a stick and kicked grass out of the way, drawing diagrams for the Rabbit as they spoke. _Has to do with the shadow things, I bet._

As he watched, Cator’s eyes widened as he seemed to finally understand whatever foreign concept had been introduced to him. Bonnie turned back to his brother, frowning as Spring carefully carved out a tool with a sharp rock he’d somehow located in the river. His greyish-green eyes were firmly on the wood, paying close attention as he dug the stone into the wood and peeled away another layer. Not too far from Spring, Fredric worked on something similar.

Sighing, Bonnie fell back into the grass to stare up at the sky. “I’m bored,” he complained to Spring.

“Don’t care,” the younger brother answered shortly, not even looking over towards the elder. “Not going anywhere that’ll get us killed.”

“Relax, Spring,” he muttered, glancing over at the golden Rabbit. “The moons aren’t even up.”

Spring glanced over at him, raising a brow. “What do the moons have anything to do with it?” he asked, clearly skeptical of Bonnie’s words.

“Well,” Bonnie hummed, looking towards the clear too-blue sky, “I couldn’t help but notice that the two times this shadow thing has happened the moons were out.”

“Could be coincidence,” Spring dismissed without question. “You don’t go bettin’ your life on chances, Bonnie.”

_Well that worked,_ he thought sarcastically to himself, glancing at Spring again. Spring was once again concentrating on carving the wooden tool- _a simple wooden spear, it seems, very tribal, can’t wait to see the affronted looks on Cator and Ursians’ faces-_ and not watching him.

“Whatever,” Bonnie finally gave, dropping his head back into the grass. Across the clearing he could hear the Humans’ voices, and out in the forest he could hear the wind blowing gently.

_The others should be back soon._

* * *

“Okay, so,” Blu started, glancing at the sky. “Let me see if I have this straight. So planets have continents, continents have countries, many countries have states or equivalents, and those states or equivalences have districts which have counties which have cities. Did I get that right?”

“Right,” Jeremy confirmed. “Not all of them, of course, but the States at least.”

“That’s so confusing,” Blu sighed, dropping back into the grass. “Who has the time to memorize that many things?”

“Says the super advanced genius-among-his-own-people,” Mike snorted, leaning over to look at him. Blu stuck his tongue out at him- a childish gesture that he would _never_ allow his parents to see. “Besides, we don’t memorize everything. In the United States we just memorize the states and their capitals.”

“I thought you said you were from _Germany,”_ Blu groaned, covering his eyes with his hands. “Isn’t that on an entirely different _continent?”_

Mike snorted. “My parents are from Germany,” he corrected. “I grew up in the States.”

“But then why don’t your parents know English?”

“They couldn’t get a grip on the language,” was the simple matter-of-fact answer. Blu whined, peeking out at him.

“Your planet’s so confusing,” he complained, pouting as Mike and Jeremy both laughed. “I’m being serious here!”

“Sorry,” Jeremy laughed, leaning against Mike’s shoulder, “but you look like a put-out child who didn’t get snack time.”

“Oh ha ha, very funny,” Blu huffed, sitting up. “I’m still taller than you, though.”

“Barely,” Mike shot back.

“And we’re older,” Jeremy added before pausing. “Wait, holy _shit,_ a fifteen year old-”

“Sixteen,” Blu corrected.

“-Sixteen year old anthropomorphic rabbit is taller than us, and you're almost _twenty.”_

_Whatamorphic?_ Blu just watched the two Humans share a look, neither looking too happy with the news. “What’s so wrong with that?” Blu asked, tilting his head slightly. “I mean, don’t you have another year or two before you’ve finished growing taller?”

“Ah, no,” Mike snorted, shaking his head. “We’re about as tall as we’re ever gonna be.”

“And the fact that _you’re_ the shortest alien here concerns me about how tall you guys usually are,” Jeremy added, glancing suspiciously towards the Lacatrans. Blu snorted.

“It varies by planet,” he told the Humans, leaning an arm on his knees. “Lapinians tend to be the shortest, though looks like the Vulpinians are tryin’ to give us some competition,” he added, glancing at the Foxes. They were somewhere between short and tall, if Blu had to wager a guess; taller than Blu, shorter than Chica. “The Lacatrans are average height for Lacatrans, Red has a few more years until he’s a full grown Ardrawn- he probably won’t be too much shorter than Freddy and Goldie. I have no clue about the Chickens, the Ursians also have another year or so but, again, pretty average for Ursians.” He shrugged and looked back at the Earthlings. “I have a couple years, too, but I’m already the average height. My, uh, dad is tall for a Lapinian, though,” he added in a mutter, glancing skywards.

_Knowing my luck I take after mom in that too,_ he mused, letting his gaze fall back to the Humans. They were just watching him, somewhat surprised. “What?”

“You’re telling me it’s _average_ for a Lacatran to be six and a half feet tall?” Mike asked, his voice full of disbelief.

“They’re not six and a half feet tall,” Blu snorted, glancing over towards said Lacatrans. Bonnie looked bored as hell, seeming to be reaching out and tracing cloud formations with his fingers while Spring carved. “They’re like an inch or two shorter than that.”

“That’s not any better,” Mike deadpanned, shaking his head. “That’s still just about an entire foot taller than us.”

“I knew I was short but I’ve never felt _this_ short,” Jeremy complained, pouting and glaring at the sky. “Dammit.”

Blu smirked slightly. “Now who looks like the child?”

“Oh shut up.”

“Never.”

* * *

“You want me to do _what now?”_

“Shut up,” Bonsha hissed, glancing out towards the wide main hallway. People walked by, none of them seeming to notice the Rabbit and Human in the side hall.

Bonsha stood, hip firm against the access hatch- just in case- at the end of the dead-end hallway, with the red-haired Human standing between him and the main hall.

Fritz shook his head, seeming to be trying to clear it, before sighing and looking at Bonsha with dull green eyes. “Bonsha,” he started lowly, “what you’re talking about is traitorous. If you do this, anyone who helps you will be deemed an enemy of Phantom’s Eye. We’d be _killed.”_

“Yes, well, I don’t fancy _my_ test subjects dying because someone wants a little bloodshed,” Bonsha shot back, staring at the Human. Fritz frowned at him.

“Oddly vindictive of you,” he noted glancing over Bonsha. The Rabbit resisted the urge to tense up. “Why do you care so much about this experiment?”

Bonsha’s teeth clenched. “I don’t care about the experiment,” he told the Human through his teeth. “What I care about is it being manipulated. The Crystals are Active, there is very little that can be used as food, and eventually their lack of immunity will catch up with them- especially as we did not foresee that the Crystals would be Active during this experiment. This experiment can only have inconclusive results and, as such, is no longer a viable experiment for the purposes that we began.” He eyed Fritz, a harsh gleam in his silver eyes. Fritz simply listened. “By altering the purpose of the experiment I can get a more telling result. If it means going directly against Fueller’s orders, then very well. I am a scientist before I am a subject.”

Fritz raised a brow. “You’re almost a good liar,” he complimented. “There’s something about the experiment that you care about, and you don’t want the subjects getting killed. I get it. But you’re letting your emotions get in the way of your job.”

“I have no emotions,” Bonsha bit out, narrowing his eyes.

The Human smiled dryly and leaned forward, his voice dropping into a whisper as he said, “We both know that’s a lie." His voice barely carried the half-foot to Bonsha’s ears. “You and I both know the Ceremony is bullshit. So let’s speak frankly, Bonsha- what about the experiment has you losing face here? Because anyone who looks at you right now will see straight through your mask. If your reason is good enough then maybe I’ll help you.”

The green eyes bore into his own and Bonsha realized he had practically stopped breathing. He frowned, searching that pale face for any signs of deceit.

There was none.

After a few seconds, Bonsha released the breath he’d been holding and gave a single nod. “Not here,” he said, watching Fritz stand up straight.

“My quarters then.”

All Bonsha could do was nod.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FRIIIIITZ
> 
> And so something has been revealed. And what's this? Is there actually something Bonsha CARES about? Not just the experiment? Hm. Maybe Fritz is misreading? Or is Bonsha hiding secrets, too? Hmm...
> 
> Also, I wonder if the heights play any significance into anything? ;)


	17. The Things You Do

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, another update. The next one shouldn't be too long, I've written both chapters plus a good chunk of the one after that.

_“Spring?” the kit whispered, shaking his unconscious brother. His heart was beating painfully and tears threatened to spill out his eyes; all around him he could hear the sounds of disaster, but he could barely see through the dust and smoke settling around them. He turned to the smaller kit under his brother, hoping to see some sign of life in either of them, but both of the dusty golden Rabbits’ bodies were torn and their fur stained red, both barely breathing._

_Taking a painful smoke-filled breath, the kit let out a cough before carefully pulling the youngest out from under his brother. He looked around, taking in the collapsed, burning supports in the building they had taken refuge in. His eyes scanned their surroundings, looking for any way to get his brothers out of there to somewhere... safer._

_“Bon...?” a voice muttered, and Bonnie’s attention snapped back to his twin. The Rabbit was shifting in place, slowly pushing himself up off of the floor._

_“Spring,” Bonnie gasped, moving forward to grab his brother’s shoulder as the golden kit started to fall down again. “It’s okay, I got you.”_

_“Where’re the others?” the Rabbit mumbled, greyish-green eyes scanning over Bonnie and the smaller golden kit. “Where’s Bonnet...?”_

_“I don’t know,” he admitted, standing up with the tiny kit in one arm and his brother’s weight on the other. “I can’t find her...” He began moving Spring towards a gaping hole in the wall leading, thankfully, out into the forest and not the village where he could still hear the sounds of- of- he didn’t even know_ what _it was, but it was terrifying. “I’ll find her though. I promise.”_

_“Mama... p-papa?”_

_“I don’t- I don’t know,” Bonnie told Spring, tears stinging his eyes. Right then he wished he wasn’t the oldest. “I’ll find them, okay? I- I promise.”_

_They reached the wall and Bonnie peeked outside, glancing left and right. After a few moments, he decided it was safer out there than in the burning building. He carefully set the smaller kit outside on the grass before helping his brother over the ridge. Then he leapt over, picked his smallest brother up, and grabbed Spring again, leading him into the trees._

_A flash of maroon was passing, but then the Rabbit paused and Bonnie looked up at him. He recognized the Rabbit- his best friend’s father. Quickly, the Rabbit scooped all three kits up and practically darted up a tree before any of the kits could react, and he set them high up in the tree, in what was essentially a nest. The branches it was in were large and the leaves thick, covering them completely from the eyes of those on the forest floor._

I need to find Bonnet, _Bonnie thought desperately, eyes widening as he batted at the helping hands._ Mama and Papa, I-I need to-

_“Stay here,” his friend’s father whispered, yellow eyes darting downwards. “They won’t see you up here, just stay quiet.”_

_Then the Rabbit was gone, back to the forest floor before he could draw attention to the childrens’ hiding spots._

_Bonnie began to move towards the edge, but then Spring’s hand landed on his arm. “B-Bon,” his brother whimpered, “help...” He turned to his brother, biting his lip._

_His brother wasn’t in a good way; a deep jagged cut extended from his shoulder and almost clear down to his hip. One of his ears was almost cut through, the top quarter or so hanging by practically a thread; blood ran down his face and torso, staining once brilliant golden fur red. His eyes were dazed, almost glazed over in numb pain, and his hand trembled on Bonnie’s arm._

_The tears stung his eyes- even at that small age, Bonnie couldn’t see any hope for his brother surviving._

_Still, he knew, he had to try; he was the older brother. He couldn’t just let either of them die. Swallowing hard, he nodded and reached over to grab his brother’s hand. “O-of course,” he agreed, moving closer to his brother and tugging his own shirt off._ I have to stop the bleeding, _he told himself._ Mama and Papa will be fine. Bonnet will be fine.

_“I’m sorry,” he whispered, biting his lip. “I should have saved you, n-n-ot- not y-you s-saving m-me...” He took a deep breath, the smoke filling the forest not nearly as suffocating as the screaming and crying he could hear from below._

_Spring didn’t respond but Bonnie didn’t let it deter him._

_He’d save the brothers he could._

Bonnie’s eyes fluttered open, a small frown on his lips.

The sky was impossibly blue that day and around him he could hear chatter throughout the clearing. He slowly glanced around, noticing the Ursians had returned; the golden Bear was speaking to the Foxes and Spring, he noted, while the other was with the Humans, Lapinian and Ardrawn. The Chickens seemed to be doing... something or other on the other side of the clearing, almost whispering to one another.

He watched as Cator grinned and nudged Fredric, whom looked equally amused at whatever the Ursian had just said. It was oddly lively, he couldn’t help but think; the Rabbit’s eyes were bright, so unlike how Bonnie _usually_ saw them.

Frowning, he sat up and rubbed his forehead, trying to push his... dream away. He absolutely hated that memory- a young kit trying desperately to save the only family he unknowingly had left...

 _I wonder how Obi’s doing,_ he wondered, standing up to his feet. _I hope he’s okay._ Sure, he knew, the kit wasn’t exactly a kit anymore- he was almost fourteen now, after all- but he was still young. He still needed to be cared for.

 _And now we’re lightyears away,_ he silently sighed, glancing at the sky again. There was still no sign of either moon in the sky and the sun was almost to the treeline, casting long shadows across the clearing. _I shouldn’t be here, dammit..._

“Welcome back to the world of the living,” a voice snorted from next to him. Bonnie glanced towards his brother, frowning. “Enjoy your nap?”

“Not at all,” Bonnie muttered, averting his gaze. “We really need to find a way home, Spring.”

“I know,” Spring agreed, lightly nudging his brother. “Plush is probably scared.”

“Oh will you stop calling him Plush,” Bonnie snorted, lightly pushing Spring away from him.

“Why?” Spring asked, grinning at his brother. “He’s fluffy and small.”

“He’s not small, he _used_ to be small,” Bonnie countered, rolling his eyes. “Get with the program, Sping, little brother’s growin’ up.”

A short silence fell between them, neither brother saying a word. A few seconds passed before Spring sighed and reached out, setting his hand on the purple Rabbit’s shoulder. “You were thinking of Bonnet again.”

It wasn’t a question.

“I was thinking of everything,” Bonnie admitted, glancing at his brother again. “Mom, dad, Benjy’s dad, Bonnet, just... y’know, the village.” His gaze slipped past Spring and landed on Cator, his frown deepening as he did so.

The smaller Rabbit seemed to be attempting to push both Humans away from him with an alarmed expression on his face as the Humans reached out towards him, both wearing gleeful grins. Bonnie really looked at his bright blue fur, his grass-green eyes, watched as the Rabbit tumbled backwards with a squeal as both Humans managed to overpower him, just _watched_ him laugh and struggle.

In his mind he could see navy fur and silver eyes staring down at a small pink Rabbit kit, expression blank and cold and dispassionate.

He could easily replace that image with the sky-furred Rabbit.

He could see a navy-furred Rabbit staring down dispassionately at a frightened little blue Rabbit, and the distance between those two Rabbits couldn’t be greater.

“They hardly seem related.”

Blinking, Bonnie turned to his brother. Spring had followed his gaze, a sharp frown on his lips as he watched the Humans tickle the Rabbit teen whose struggles did nothing to deter them. “What do you mean?”

“You were thinking it, too,” Spring huffed, looking back at Bonnie. “That Lapinian is nothing like Akrai Cator.”

“He’s not like a Lapinian,” Bonnie agreed lowly, gaze flickering over the Rabbit again. The Bears had finally decided to intervene, each twin holding one of the humans up as Fredric helped Cator back to his feet. “I don’t understand it.”

“Are we sure he isn’t adopted?” Spring suggested with a slight snort. Bonnie rolled his eyes and grinned.

“He’s definitely Lapinian,” Bonnie stated matter-of-factly. “He looks too Lapinian to be anything else.”

“He certainly doesn’t act it, though.”

“Oh, he _acts_ it, alright,” Bonnie muttered, his gaze sliding over to the shadows reaching out for them. Oddly enough he could already see dew forming on the grass in the shade. _“Act_ being the keyword there.”

“What?”

“Nothing,” he sighed, patting his brother’s shoulder and walking back towards the shelter. “I’m gonna get the fire started.”

“Right,” Spring agreed slowly, simply watching him walk away.

* * *

Fritz leaned back in his seat, frowning as he took in the black Rabbit’s words. “Sounds complicated,” he gave. “Does Shafred know?”

Bonsha snorted, “Of course not. When would I have ever told him this?”

“Perhaps when he found out you were Lapinian at all,” Fritz suggested dryly, raising a brow. “But this does explain why you’re so invested in this experiment... or rather, the subjects involved.”

“Will you help me or not?” Bonsha asked, straight and to the point. Fritz leaned on his hand, considering it for a moment.

“The truth is,” he started carefully, “I also have an interest in this experiment’s subjects as well, and Fueller needs a good kick to the balls anyway. So yeah, why the hell not.”

Blinking, Bonsha peered across the table at Fritz. “So you have a personal interest in this too, yet still demanded to know why this was important to me.”

“Yep.”

“You’re an asshole.”

“And you’re a liar, see how that works?” Fritz smirked at him as Bonsha clenched his teeth. “My advice to you, friend, is tell Shafred the truth. Let him decide for himself if he wants to get involved in this mess that’s been created.”

“I have no wish to completely cancel the experiment,” Bonsha informed him, standing up and dusting his pants off. “I’m just changing the rules. It will go on as planned. You know your hand in this now, and you have agreed to help. All Shafred has to do is observe. He need not be any wiser, and then can claim no knowledge if we are caught.”

“But he already knows what you’re doing,” Fritz pointed out, watching the Rabbit stride across the room. “And he knows part of the why. You should tell him the whole why. He’s your friend, isn’t he?”

Bonsha paused, hand reaching out for the door’s sensor pad. He glanced back at Fritz then towards the door again. “Shafred sees me as no more than a science partner,” he said simply, calmly. “He views me as no friend. Just a comrade. An accomplice, if you will.”

“More than a liar,” Fritz snorted as Bonsha opened the door and headed out. “A blind fool, too.”

The Rabbit bit his tongue and walked quickly, purposefully, down the hallway, refusing to make eye contact with any of the people he passed by. He already knew what he would see there; the blank, uncaring eyes that he always saw in his science partner each and every day.

_I don’t need any reminders._

* * *

“No, like, I’m _dying_ to get a bath,” Jeremy sighed, dropping down into the grass. “I feel disgusting and I smell even worse.”

“Trust me, we know,” Foxy snorted, leaning on his hands. “But aye, a bath be soundin’ mighty fine right now.”

“Good luck getting one without freezing to death,” Spring said, glancing at the darkening sky. “And duh, we all agree everyone here needs baths, we’ve been here for days.”

Blu frowned slightly, staring at the sky- something was nagging at his mind. _I’m pretty desperate for a bath, too,_ he thought to himself, closing his eyes. _I even went to get one, but... the moons and that... that other Lapinian..._

“Maybe we can work on that tomorrow,” Freddy suggested. “But it’ll be cold and we don’t exactly have soap.”

“We’ll make do,” Spring responded simply. “We’re used to that.”

 _There was another Rabbit,_ Blu said silently to himself, opening his eyes and looking around at his companions. _Another Rabbit who basically threatened me to keep my mouth shut._

 _“Do not concern yourself with the other Rabbit,”_ that voice whispered. Blu barely flinched. _“Worry about the caves and the silt, Bandi Cator.”_

“So how would the whole “bath” thing be done, anyway?” Mike asked, leaning forward on his knees. “There’s a lot of us, plus guys and girls and...” he trailed off, looking towards Mangle. Mangle simply raised their brow at him. “... And Mangle. And no offense, but I don’t fancy seeing, like, furry d-”

“Mike!” Jeremy immediately cried as Spring, Goldie, and Foxy burst out laughing, the latter of whom fell onto the grass behind him. Blu shared an unamused glance with Red and across the way Bonnie reached over and flicked Mike’s forehead.

“What?” Mike huffed, rubbing his head. “It’s true!”

Nonchalantly, Freddy leaned over and whispered something in Mike’s ear. Immediately the Human’s face went red. “They’re not?”

“Nope.”

“Oh.”

Foxy only laughed harder, and now Mangle was laughing too.

“They’re like children,” Red muttered to Blu. “And they’re all older than us.”

“I noticed,” Blu agreed, glancing around. “But I kinda agree with Mike, y’know... don’t wanna see all... that.”

Red snorted. “Such a sheltered life you’ve led,” he commented, patting Blu’s shoulder. The Rabbit pouted at his friend. “In the colonies group baths are normal, for protection reasons. Trust me, the ladies and potentially Mangle aside, no one here has anything you haven’t seen before.”

“That’s debatable,” Bonnie called over, prompting Blu to flush red in embarrassment.

“Don’t eavesdrop!” Blu whined, frowning towards the larger Rabbit.

“Don’t have a supposedly-private conversation in a public setting,” Bonnie shot back smugly. “It’s not eavesdropping, it’s overhearing.”

“Stop,” Freddy interrupted before Blu could respond, then he sighed. “I know it’s uncomfortable, especially for those of us who are used to bathing alone,” he glanced towards Blu as he said it, and Blu pouted even more. “However, we’ve already established that being alone isn’t a good idea, so best case is we all at least pair off with someone else.”

“I claim my brother,” Goldie immediately declared, earning snorts and eye rolls.

“Oh please, like there’s any doubt who’s gonna choose whom,” Chica snorted, sharing a look with the other Chicken.

“Yea, not bathing with a guy,” Chii added, and for some reason that prompted both Chickens to laugh. Blu wasn’t quite sure what was so funny about it.

“If we _have_ to pair off,” Mangle drawled, leaning on their hands, “then I’ll just drag the other Fox with me.”

“Gee, don’t I get a choice?” Foxy asked, raising a brow at the pink and white Fox. Mangle looked at him somewhat boredly.

“You were really gonna choose someone else?”

“Er... no, not really, but still!”

Red and Blu shared another look and Red just raised a brow. “Any surprise?” he asked, somewhat amused.

“I wish I was,” Blu sighed melodramatically, shrugging at his friend. “Tends to be you and me a lot.”

“Better to be among friends than enemies, though, hm?”

“Definitely.”

“I think it’s time to move inside,” Freddy sighed, standing up. “The sun’s gone and it’s kinda cold out here.”

Red raised a brow but stood up, dusting his pants off. Blu hopped to his feet, glancing around as everyone else climbed up off the ground and moved towards the shelter, a few of them talking in low tones. He noticed both Lacatrans’ gazes flicker back to him.

“They’re talking about me,” he noted with a frown.

“Don’t worry about them, Blu,” Red started, falling into step next to him. “I think they’re just trying to figure you out at this point.”

“Figure me out?” Blu parroted, glancing at the Bear. Red looking back at him, somewhat disbelievingly.

“Have you even paid attention to half the things you’ve said and done these past few days?”

“Of course I have,” Blu answered, frowning. "I pay attention to everything I say."

“Blu,” Red started, lowering his voice. “The things you’ve said and done were concerning enough with me thinking they were all tangents and mindless responses, but it’s even more concerning if you’ve said them _knowingly.”_

The Rabbit’s ears lowered and he paused, watching those now _very_ concerned blue eyes staring intently at him. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Red started, glancing briefly towards the sky, “if you think some of the things you’ve said are... _normal..._ like... hating your own parents, or... feeling like a mask, not knowing who you are... or that having your hands absolutely shredded is fine- even your own name... do you even realize what that says about your upbringing?”

Blu just watched Red, so confused. “I... What are you saying, Red?”

The Bear looked at him, a sharp frown tugging on his lips. “Blu, almost everything you say and do suggests that you’re being ab-”

“Hey, you two over there,” a voice interrupted, startling both Animals into turning towards the shelter. Goldie was standing outside, a brow raised at them as he held the door open. “Come inside before it gets any colder, we don’t have any safe way to deal with frostbite.”

Red looked back towards Blu. “We’ll continue this conversation later,” he muttered before heading towards the shelter.

Blu’s eyes briefly met Goldie’s, and in that brief moment he knew the Bear could see right through him. Gripping his wrist, Blu dropped his gaze and followed Red to the shelter. He could feel Goldie’s eyes following him, and at that moment Blu felt like he was the only person who didn’t understand what everyone else could plainly see.

Even the voice in his head seemed to hum in agreement with Red’s words, but still Blu was lost.

_Suggests that I’m being what?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hey look, a Bonnie flashback :D And a kinda dirty joke, hooray! XD
> 
> Please note: Do not tickle people without permission and always stop if they say stop or display a desire for you to stop. Tickling can be very invasive and even if they're laughing they might not be enjoying it; in my personal experience, unwillingly being tickled can be painful :/
> 
> Obi = Plushtrap :P And look, I borrowed Bonnet from SL X'D
> 
>  
> 
> ~~Foxy's the only one who will ever know Mangle's biological sex lol~~


	18. Wrong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I decided I hated the chapter I wrote for what I was ORIGINALLY gonna update so have another Phantom Watchers chapter, y'all. 
> 
> I'm an idiot and writing BTM in a different way than before (because of the scene) so it'll be a while until it's updated next -w-;

“Eesh, the water’s cold!”

“Yes, we already established that, Blu.”

Blu frowned, rubbing at the fur that had gotten wet. “No, I mean it feels colder than before,” he told the Bear, keeping his eyes on his fur. “It was cold when I fell in the other day but not _this_ cold!”

Sighing, the Ardrawn turned to look at Blu, his shirt in his hands. “Well maybe sometime between now and next time we can figure out a way to safely contain and heat the water,” he said, folding his shirt up neatly. “For now, we just deal with it.”

“What if we get sick?” Blu asked worriedly, biting his lower lip and glancing away. “I’ve never been sick before, how do you even-”

“Blu,” Red interrupted, a hnd landing on Blu’s shoulder. He looked towards his friend, frowning slightly. “You’ll be fine,” Red assured him. “You didn’t get sick when you fell in, even when your clothes were soaking wet.”

“Point,” Blu muttered, fidgeting nervously with his own shirt. He watched as Red stepped back over to where he had started stacking his own clothing, his shirt and shoes sitting innocently on the grass. Blu really didn’t want to strip in front of the Bear, no matter how much he could consider him a friend.

Red, apparently, had no qualms about it, easily stepping out of his pants. Blu averted his eyes, embarrassed.

 _Red’s used to this kind of thing,_ Blu thought, scanning the treeline. _I’ve never even seen my parents change clothes, let alone_ bathed _with someone._

“Stop being a prude,” Red called out to him. Blu briefly glanced over at him to find Red had already slipped into the water. “If it makes you feel better I won’t even look.”

“You make that sound like such a problem,” Blu huffed, tugging his already torn shirt off. The sun was hot on his fur and it was rather unpleasant, but so was the chill of the water. He dropped it on the ground next to him and began tugging his shoes off.

Over the week they’d been there his shoes had become increasingly worn and dirty. They had already been a bit old and his parents had been telling him to get new ones but he kept putting it off- why waste perfectly good shoes?

Well, now one had a deep slit in the sole and Blu had done so much blind-panic running that the shoes simply weren’t made for that he knew he was better off without them, now.

Like hell was he going to get rid of them yet, though.

_I will not look like those Lacatrans._

Sighing, he stood up again and stretched out his toes. Then, his face flushing deeper red, he unbuttoned his pants and slipped them off. The pants themselves had once been almost immaculately white, but now they were grey with dust and brown with dirt, and the knees and shins (and the butt but he pointedly ignored this fact) had very clear green grass stains. Blu made a face; none of his clothes were made for traipsing through forests. They were made for traipsing through schools and ships- nice, clean, _sterile_ environments.

Blu dropped the pants on top of his shirt and made his way to the water, frowning. _This is humiliating,_ he thought, quickly slipping into the water and sitting down. He refused to look towards Red.

“Honestly, Blu,” Red sighed, “are you so out of touch with nature that nudity really offends you?”

“It doesn’t _offend_ me,” Blu immediately denied, quickly scrubbing the cold water through his fur. Thankfully, he noted, the sun on his wet fur was much more pleasant than either alone. “I’m not _used_ to it.”

“It’s the most basic natural form,” Red told him as Blu washed the grime and dust out of his fur. He watched it dissipate in the water, and he knew without investigating that it must have contained Layaso silt- that important mineral that Lacatra’s rivers lacked. “I know on Lapinia you don’t have anything to do with it, but while we’re on this planet I have a feeling you should probably get used to it.”

“Wonderful,” Blu sighed, scrubbing at his fur. “This is just humiliating.”

“Not really,” Red countered. “I’m not sure you’ve noticed, Blu, but you’re the only one of us who seems to find this all strange. Even the Humans reacted as though this is normal, and the Ursians accepted it easily enough.”

“They aren’t me, Red.”

“I know.”

Silence fell between the two as they finished scrubbing away the grime and ducked their heads, briefly, under to clean the thicker fur on their heads. When he deemed himself clean enough, Blu climbed out of the water and sat on the grass in the sun, grabbing his pants and setting it over his lap so that he wasn’t exposed.

 _Most basic natural form or not, I still don’t want near-strangers looking at me without clothes on,_ he thought with a pout, averting his eyes as Red climbed out as well.

Red settled down in the grass nearby, and when Blu glanced, very briefly, at him, he was relieved to find that the Bear had also laid his pants across his lap. Of course, Blu had a feeling it was more for the Rabbit’s sake than for Red’s.

Several seconds passed, the two Animals just gazing at the water as the sun dried their fur. Finally, Blu asked, “What were you going to say last night?”

A beat of contemplative quiet passed before Red answered, “I was going to say the way you act suggests you’re being hurt at home.”

Blu glanced over at him. “What do you mean?”

“There are scars on your right arm,” Red said quietly, not looking at him. “I noticed them when I was cleaning the cuts on your hands. I wondered where they came from, and I wondered a lot of different things, Blu. Why you said you don’t like your parents, why you haven’t bemoaned a lack of technology, why you act so antagonistically towards your own planet... why you hate your real name.” He glanced at Blu, frowning. “You said Blu means “hope,” right?” Blu nodded slightly in confirmation. “So why is Bandi Cator hopeless?”

For a moment, Blu didn’t understand. Then it hit him like a slap to the face.

“You said Bandi was a mask you wore to please your parents... and for your own safety,” Red continued, his voice falling even quieter. Blu stared at him, his ears flattening. “Safety from what? I can’t help but wonder, Blu- are they hurting you?”

_How did this happen?_

He wanted to say _no._ He wanted to say _of course not._ He wanted to lie.

_I thought I was so careful..._

He couldn’t lie. Not to Red. Not when those blue eyes were pinned to the river, worry and _sadness_ the only thing reflecting back. Not when he refused to look at Blu- not when he had heard him out before and was willing to hear him out again. Not when he was trusting him to open up- trusting him to be honest.

The only thing Blu could say was, “It’s normal.”

It was Red’s turn to ask, “What does that mean?” Still, he didn’t look at Blu.

Still Blu didn’t lie.

“I belong to my parents,” he honestly told Red, averting his gaze to the grass. “It’s just how things are on Lapinia. I don’t like it- I hate it, even, and I’d never do it to my own kid, but... it’s normal. All parents do it... It keeps us safe. It-”

“Safe?!” Blu flinched, glancing up at his friend. Red’s eyes were on him again, wide and full of disbelief. “Did you seriously just say them _hurting_ you keeps you _safe?!”_

“Keep your voice down,” Blu hissed, glancing nervously back towards the trees. “Red, listen-”

“Your parents are supposed to _protect_ you, Blu,” Red practically whispered, shaking his head vigorously. For a moment Blu was caught by just how distraught Red looked and it left him honestly speechless. It looked like Red was more affected by Blu’s words than Blu himself was... “They’re not supposed to hurt you. They’re not supposed to make you feel hopeless or- or like an object, or that pain is fine, or that you don’t matter or _anything_ like that.”

“I don’t like my parents,” Blu repeated, hoping Red would get it, “but I understand why they did it. It’s not their fault, it’s the system-”

“They’re simply feeding the system by playing along with it,” Red interrupted, a growl in his words. Blu bit his tongue. “If they were trying to protect you from the _system,_ they would have left to raise you on a planet where the system can’t reach you. Can’t _harm_ you. Your father has a fleet of ships at his disposal and he has had them your entire life- if he wanted to _protect_ you he would have done _anything_ to _get you off of Lapinia_ and _away from that system.”_

Red’s blue eyes seemed to almost burn with anger- with outright fury, even- as he spat the words out, and Blu stilled, staring at his friend in shock. The Bear’s ears were flat against his head and his burning gaze bore into Blu’s own wide emerald eyes. It was a harsh expression- a harsh expression for harsh words condemning Blu’s parents.

And even then it was one of the most caring expressions Blu had ever seen.

In that moment, he understood.

_If my parents really wanted to protect me from the Camps and from Below... they could have just sent me off planet. Raised me somewhere else._

It was like a punch in the stomach. For years he had begrudgingly endured that pain, growing to hate his parents and society but rationalizing it as _they’re only doing it to protect me._

But then Red pointed out the most obvious flaw in his lifelong excuse.

_They could have taken me anywhere else._

For some reason his heart hurt- hurt in a way it had never hurt before. He stared at Red, shock turning to pain, and the image of the Bear blurred suddenly as Blu’s eyes burned.

_They could have spared me all that pain._

There was only one reason Blu could think of that his parents- the general commander and head doctor of sciences, two intelligent and _able_ people with all the means possible to do so- would not have ever considered for a moment taking him away.

_They didn’t do it to protect me. They didn’t do it to spare me from the Camps. They did it because they thought it was right._

_They hurt me... because they could._

He felt broken.

* * *

Something wasn’t quite right when Fredric and Bandi returned from their bath, Freddy immediately noticed. The Rabbit’s head was bowed in a way that Lapinians simply did _not_ do- it was a sign of shame or sadness, neither an emotion Lapinians ever willingly showed. The Bear, on the other hand, simply looked sad, throwing glances towards his friend and acting as though he were about to reach out but kept changing his mind.

 _What happened?_ Freddy wondered, sharing a worried look with Goldie. The smaller Rabbit instantly went to the shelter and slipped past Foxy, who was working on the lock Goldie and Spring had made. The Fox paused and looked inside before looking over at Freddy, a brow raised quizzically.

Freddy simply shrugged and turned his gaze to Fredric. The younger Bear caught his gaze and, understanding, walked over to the Ursians, taking a seat in the grass a few feet in front of them.

“Yes?” he asked, despite knowing very well what Freddy was about to ask.

“What’s up with the Lapinian?” Goldie asked before Freddy could. “He looks like someone just told him his pet died.”

“I think he would have reacted better to that,” Fredric sighed, leaning his arms on his knees. Freddy raised a brow, silently asking for explanation. “I asked him something and his answer... didn’t sit well. I may or may not have accidentally destroyed one of his coping mechanisms and he reacted... badly.”

“What did you ask him?” Freddy questioned, his voice too quiet to carry far.

Fredric sighed and glanced towards the sky. “I asked him if he was being hurt by his parents.”

“And?” he prompted, sharing a frown with his brother.

The Ardrawn hesitated. “I’m not sure,” he started carefully, “if it’s really my place to say.”

“Don’t give us that,” Goldie sighed, shaking his head. “We understand you not wantin’ to... betray his trust, or whatever, but if somethin’s goin’ on then I think it’s kinda important to know about.”

“But what’s the point?” Fredric asked, raising a brow. “We’re all here and not there- nothing’s happening _now_ and there’s nothing we can do.”

“That didn’t stop you from getting mad about it,” Freddy pointed out. “Besides, if someone _is_ hurtin’ him back on Lapinia, then he’s probably still bein’ affected by it. If anything, _not_ tellin’ us is worse than tellin’ us. At least while we’re here we can try and undo _some_ of the damage.”

Of course, they already knew the answer- the way Fredric spoke told them the answer, and the way they responded told Fredric they knew the answer. It was obvious, after all.

After a few seconds, their words clearly mulling over in Fredric’s mind, the younger Bear sighed and simply told them, “He said it was normal. All Lapinians are raised this way.”

Goldie let out a sigh and Freddy simply nodded; that was expected. “How did you respond that supposedly broke his coping mechanism?”

“I didn’t react to that.”

“Then what did you react to?”

“His claim that it was to protect them.”

“Protect them?” Goldie parroted, sitting up straight. Freddy furrowed his brow. “How the hell’s it supposed to protect them?”

“I didn’t really give him a chance to explain,” Fredric admitted with a sigh, averting his gaze. “He said something about it not being the parents’ fault, it’s the system, and I... kind of pointed out that his parents have always had the means to protect him from the system. They could have just taken him away from Lapinia.” Fredric looked back at them, a frown tugging at his lips. “It looked like it had never even occurred to him before that his parents hurt him rather than simply took him somewhere safe.” He hesitated again, as if he wanted to say something but wasn’t sure if he should. Freddy and Goldie stayed quiet, silently encouraging the Bear to continue. After a few moments, Fredric finished with, “He started crying and hasn’t said a word since.”

Freddy shared a look with Goldie, frowning. _So more than depressed, also abused. And that’s the norm on Lapinia?_ He sighed and rubbed his forehead. _No wonder they have seventeen year old representatives. “They grow up fast,” dad always said. No, they don’t grow up fast, they just don’t know any other life._

“It explains a lot,” Goldie mumbled, leaning back and sighing. “So now what? Obviously Bandi’s struggling with what’s happened, no doubt it’s affecting how he acts out here.”

“Well you could start by _not_ calling him Bandi,” Fredric deadpanned, staring at Goldie. Freddy raised a brow questioningly.

“Why?” he asked, pondering the Bear’s words. Sure, he had noticed Fredric and the Humans had all started calling him “Blu,” but those three did spend more time with Bandi than anyone else did.

“He hates that name,” Fredric informed the Ursians, glancing towards the shelter where the Lapinian in question had hidden himself away. Foxy seemed to be attempting to coax the Rabbit out of the dark interior. “I think he associates it with his parents. It’s strange- how much he dislikes his parents, yet attempted to defend their treatment of him...”

“He was probably still hoping,” Freddy hummed thoughtfully, watching the shelter. Foxy seemed to be making no progress. “So Blu is his preferred name?”

“Yeah.”

“Doesn’t that mean “hope” though?” Goldie muttered to Freddy, who nodded slightly in confirmation. “Why hope?”

“Why else?” was all Freddy could say as he looked back at his fellow Bears. “This certainly explains a lot about the way he acts and the things he _doesn’t_ know.”

“I suppose we’ll just have to teach him then,” Goldie declared with a grin. “That’ll be fun.”

“Goldie,” Freddy started warningly, “I swear if you scar him for life I’ll scar _you_ for life.”

Sighing, Goldie patted Freddy’s shoulder mock-somberly. “Too late, Freddy. You’re my little brother- You’ve _already_ scarred me for life.”

Freddy promptly hit him as the other two laughed, their tense conversation thankfully melting away.

“Don’t be an ass, Gold,” Freddy scolded, though he couldn’t help the slight smile.

“I’m not, I’m a Bear,” Goldie protested with that stupidly-smug grin he had. Freddy just rolled his eyes.

“Hey,” another voice interrupted, and the three Bears looked across the clearing towards the Lacatran brothers. Freddy raised a brow at them. “Gold Bear, c’mere for a minute,” Spring requested, gesturing the golden Bear to “come here.”

“I have a name, you know,” Goldie promptly told Spring, standing up and going over to the brothers. “What?”

“Freddy,” Fredric suddenly started, and Freddy looked away from his brother and the Rabbits to face the smaller Bear. The Ardrawn was watching him, a slight frown on his lips. “I think when Blu finally comes back out of the shelter, I’m going to walk with him.”

Raising a brow, Freddy asked, “Walk with him where?”

“Wherever,” Fredric answered, never breaking eye contact with him. It was almost like the Bear was challenging Freddy to say no. “I don’t think keeping him confined is a good idea and he really needs time.”

He considered the Ardrawn’s words carefully, frowning slightly. Every sensible part of him was telling him to _not_ say yes, but he could understand where the Bear was coming from. The Rabbit needed time to think, and surrounded by everyone wasn’t a very ideal environment.

On the other hand, letting them walk off alone meant that either one of them could get injured or, worse, killed. He glanced towards the sky, noting the moons’ presence peeking above opposite treelines.

The moons moved against each other, he knew- completely and carelessly defying logic. He couldn’t really tell, of course, but he had a feeling the moons were the exact same distance from the planet... and their orbits were opposite one another’s.

_And they always rise in the same place._

_And when they pass, they turn red._

_But, odd... the moons didn’t rise yesterday, despite rising the days before._

He frowned.

Several seconds of silent debate passed by before he sighed- that was a mystery for another day. He turned to Fredric. “You’ll be together at all times?” Fredric nodded simply. “Take a torch and be back before the moons meet,” he said, already regretting his words. “Take the torch just in case.”

“Right,” Fredric agreed, standing to his feet. “Thank you for understanding, Freddy.”

He watched the younger Bear walk off, wondering why the hell he just said yes to allowing the two youngest members of their group to run off into the forest by themselves.

 _Fredric grew up in forests like this,_ he reminded himself, sighing and turning his attention to the Lacatrans and Goldie. They all seemed to be observing something in the golden Rabbit’s hands, but Freddy couldn’t see what it was. _I’ll just have to trust that he knows what he’s doing._

* * *

After shooing the Fox away from the shelter, Red slipped inside and made his way over to the corner that Blu had unofficially claimed. The Rabbit simply sat in the corner, staring at the wall.

With a soft sigh, Red sat down next to him. “I’m sorry,” he started, “for what I said earlier. I should have been more sensitive about it.”

“You told Freddy, didn’t you.” It wasn’t a question.

“He’s worried about you,” Red told him softly, carefully setting his hand on Blu’s back. “You do understand that this is something that affects you on more than a physical and emotional level, right?” Blu glanced over at him, a frown tugging on his lips. The question _how?_ was clear in the Rabbit’s eyes, and Red answered, “Everything you do is affected by this, Blu. Everything you know is based around this simple fact- things you _should_ know about you don’t because of this. You were... deprived of a regular childhood and teenage experience. At least while we’re all here, if we know what’s happened we can help you learn these things.”

“What’s the point?” Blu snorted derisively, looking away and closing his eyes. “I’ll just end up going back, anyway...”

“But like this,” Red started quietly, “you can finally find out just who Blu really is.”

That gave the Rabbit pause, and after a few moments he looked at Red, somewhat nervous. “You mean... I can... figure myself out?”

“Exactly,” Red confirmed, giving him a small smile. “You’re surrounded by a variety of different people with different interests, Blu. There’s so much you can learn- hell, there’s so much _all_ of us can learn from each other,” he added. “You can learn things your parents can’t even imagine.”

Blu seemed to actually consider his words, watching Red for any signs of insincerity. Red waited patiently, and finally Blu mumbled, “I don’t want the Lacatrans to know.”

Blinking, Red asked, “What?”

The Rabbit quickly looked away, absentmindedly rubbing his wrist. “I’m not looking for pity,” he muttered, just barely loud enough for Red to hear. “Especially from them. They already know I’m weird for a Lapinian, I don’t want them to know just how _broken_ I am...”

“Blu,” Red sighed, carefully slipping his arm around his friend’s shoulders in a semblance of a hug. The Rabbit tensed up slightly but didn’t pull away from the unfamiliar gesture. “You’re not broken. Maybe chipped and scratched,” he gave, “but not broken.”

“Damaged at best,” Blu sighed, rubbing at his eyes. “Pretty sad when you need to be fixed.”

“You need help, but you don’t need to be fixed,” Red countered, shaking his head despite Blu not looking at him. “There is a difference.”

“Not much of one...”

“It’ll be fine,” Red said, glancing towards the doorway. “Let’s take a walk, Blu.”

“A walk?” Blu parroted, turning to look at him in confusion. “But Freddy-”

“I already talked to him, Blu,” Red reminded him, standing up and holding a hand out to help his slightly-shorter companion to his feet. Blu eyed his hand warily, as if unsure what he was doing. “We’ll take a torch with us just in case and keep an eye on the moons.”

After a few short seconds of silent debate, Blu accepted the offered hand and allowed Red to pull him up off the floor. Once steady on his feet, Blu pulled his hand away- not rudely- and nodded slightly. “Okay then...”

Red smiled at him and headed towards the door, Blu following after.

“If we die, though, I am _totally_ blaming you,” Blu added and Red couldn’t help but laugh.

“Please,” he chuckled, opening the door wider and gesturing his friend out. “If we die it’s probably because you ran off to look at something.”

The Rabbit tilted his head and hummed slightly. “I would take offense to that if it wasn’t true,” he stated, his humour given away only by the gleam in his eyes.

Red just shook his head, amused, as the Rabbit slipped out of the door. He grabbed a torch- made courtesy of himself and Freddy- and followed his friend out, gesturing a random direction. Blu didn’t argue the choice and the two set off without a glance back at the others.

“Of course,” Red added with a slight smirk to Blu, “there’s nothing wrong with a little exploration.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No. It's not just that easy. No, Blu is not "over it" but he's trying to get his act together.  
> Also, remember that nothing's ever black and white
> 
> And thus marks the beginning of Blu learning to live :D *slapped*


	19. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry! Been busy with school and been really tired lately :( I'll try and get better, longer chapters out, just wanted to say I'm alright!

They didn’t talk about it, but that was fine. Red wanted Blu to figure things out first- so Blu had his thoughts straight. He could respect the time and space Blu would need for that, so he didn’t push the topic.

Instead, he watched as Blu hopped between the stones in the stream, amusement dancing in his eyes as he grinned. “It’s like a convenient little bridge,” Blu commented, looking up at Red.

“Be careful not to fall in,” Red needlessly warned, watching his friend hop to the next rock. The Rabbit was, unsurprisingly, good at jumping; he landed almost perfectly, his feet somewhat awkwardly placed on the stone as his shoes caught or slipped slightly, but generally speaking Blu seemed  _ almost _ graceful, balancing on the rocks with next to no issue or concern.

He wasn’t really worried about the water, either; it was just a stream, more like a creek than anything, very shallow and clear. 

“Compared to balancing on the beams of my dad’s ships,” Blu started, “this is a piece of cake. Ever had to jump from one narrow bridge to the next?”

“Why would you need to jump?” Red asked curiously, stepping onto the rock and choosing the next stone carefully, favouring the ones he could simply step over to. “Wouldn’t there be something that lets you, I dunno, walk across to them?”

“Oh sure,” Blu laughed, reaching the opposite shoreline and turning to face him. “But the testers like to keep up on our toes. Father especially sa...” the Rabbit trailed off, a frown tugging at his lips, before shaking his head. “Nevermind that.”

Red stepped up next to Blu, glancing up at the sky. The moons had barely moved at all, he could just barely see through the gaps in the trees. He wasn’t sure what it was, but something seemed very off about it all.

“I get the picture,” Red assured Blu as they continued on, Red switching the torch he was carrying to his other hand. “On Ardraw, we often move through the treetops rather than the forest floor.”

Blinking, the Rabbit turned to Red and asked, “Why would you do that? Sounds kinda dangerous.”

“The forest floor is sometimes so much more so,” Red informed him with a small, somewhat sad little smile. “During the, ah, “warm” season on Ardraw, many dangerous indigenous species come out. Someone simply travelling between villages with no protection could easily be killed, but there are no dangerous beasts up in the treetops and the trees are sturdy enough,” he explained. Blu listened attentively, curiously, to the explanation- so much so that Red had to stop him from running straight into a tree. “Be careful, Blu.”

Blu glared momentarily at the tree before grinning back at Red. “I think I get it,” he said, continuing through the thicket of trees. “You take the path that’s less dangerous. Smart. That’s why your houses are built up in the trees for the most part, right?”

“Exactly,” Red confirmed, smiling. “You catch on quick.”

“Got a good teacher,” Blu joked, lightly nudging his arm. Red just rolled his eyes. “You know, I always kinda wondered why you guys stayed on Ardraw...”

“It’s our home,” Red answered before Blu could even truly ask his question. He glanced at Blu. “Even with all of the dangers, we have a good life there. We stick together and help each other out, and at the end of the day it’s pretty good. We love our home, as anyone would.”

Blu frowned and looked ahead of himself. “But I don’t love mine.”

“Lapinia’s not your home, then,” Red told him simply before pausing, reaching out to lightly grab Blu’s shoulder. The Rabbit flinched slightly, turning to look at him questioningly. “I want you to remember something, Blu.” Blu tilted his head, letting Red know that he was listening. “Home is not a defined place,” he started seriously, keeping his eyes on his friend’s. “Home is not where you were born or raised or where your family is. Home isn’t always a place, either.” Confusion filled the emerald eyes and Blu’s brow furrowed; he opened his mouth to speak, but Red continued with, “Home is a feeling.”

There was a pause. “A feeling?” Blu repeated, lost.

Nodding, Red said, “Home is where you always feel welcome. It’s where you feel safe and loved, where you’re warm and comfortable. Sometimes home is a place, sometimes home is even another person- or follows another person. Sometimes it’s as simple as an object. And sometimes, home will change. No one but  _ you _ can define what home is, Blu.” He paused, searching his friend’s eyes for any sign of understanding. 

He found it.

“So,” Blu started slowly, carefully, “home is where you feel... safe. Where you feel like you... belong.”

“Yes.”

“So that means I don’t have a home.”

It was said so simply, without an ounce of emotion, that Red just  _ had _ to pause. Blu wasn’t wearing that blank expression- that  _ Bandi _ mask- and he didn’t have that dead look in his eye. He was just stating a fact... and that saddened Red.

The thought of not having a home was... disheartening, to say the least.

“That’s up for you to decide,” Red finally said. Blu just nodded and continued walking.

Sighing, Red followed.

“I guess there really is a lot I need to learn,” Blu commented, gazing around at the trees towering overhead. 

“We all have things we need to learn,” Red pointed out, falling into step next to him. “There’s nothing wrong with that.” 

Silence fell around them, but oddly enough it wasn’t a tense or uncomfortable silence. They walked along through the quiet trees, the wind rustling the leaves above and the only sound reaching them the sound of...

Crashing water?

Both of the teens stopped and looked at each other. “Do you hear that?” Red asked, ear twitching as the sound returned for just a brief moment.

“Yeah, loud and clear,” Blu confirmed, his gaze trailing past Red towards the trees. “It sounds like...”

“Like...?” Red prompted, but he knew already that Blu’s mind was suddenly racing. The sound of water crashing over  _ something _ returned for just a brief moment, and then Blu suddenly moved again- this time past Red. With a silent prayer to whatever deity might be watching over them, Red turned to follow Blu through the trees and closer to the sounds of water.

Blu shoved low-hanging branches out of the way, aware enough of his surroundings to hold it long enough for Red to pass, and the two made their way through the underbrush. The Bear couldn’t help but notice it becoming...  _ thicker _ the closer to the sound they got.

A strange scent tickled his nose, a scent he didn’t recognize, but apparently it struck a chord with Blu; suddenly, his relaxed stride became much more urgent, moving quicker through the trees. Red followed closely, confused about what was going on, but then suddenly they pushed through a thicket and-

With a yelp, both of them were sent tumbling onto sand, and they rolled for several yards down a hill before managing to catch themselves, digging their hands into the sand to first slow then stop their fall.

Red hissed at the feeling of the hot sand against his fur and skin. He pushed himself up and looked around, furrowing his brow in confusion. 

The sand was almost blindingly white, so different from the red sand deposits in the forests of Ardraw, and up a hill of sand he could see the edge of the forest standing thick and tall- right at the edge of the sand. Blinking, he looked behind himself and saw...

A vast expanse of sparkling blue water, reflecting the sunlight directly at them. 

His eyes widened at the sight, watching as the water rose up high and crashed down on itself, tumbling up the sand as far as it could reach. 

_ The beach. _

Oh sure, he’d heard of it- all habitable planets had beaches, after all- but he had never left the forest he called home. He had never seen the beach or caught its scent or heard its sounds.

Yet somehow, he knew,  _ this _ was the ocean.

This was what Blu had dreamed about.

Standing up to his feet, he picked up the dropped torch and looked around for Blu. His gaze landed on the Rabbit just a little further down the hill, sitting and staring out at the water. Slowly and carefully, Red made his way down the hill-  _ the dune- _ until he was beside Blu.

“It’s the ocean,” Blu mumbled, eyes on the sea in front of him. “And the forest is right next to it.”

“Just like in your dream.”

“Yeah. Just like in my dream.”

The crashing waves of the ocean filled the silence between them as they both took in exactly what this meant. After several minutes of them just watching the water dance with the shore, Red finally said, “Then they really are more than dreams.”

“Yeah,” Blu agreed, voice almost absent. “I guess they are.”

* * *

_ He stared at the images in the book, frowning as he so carefully, gently ran his fingers across the ancient tome. The vast waters pictured, with a white sandy beach and a pier extending far into the waves, was unlike anything the young Rabbit had ever seen with his own two eyes. _

_ Looking out the window of the building he and his father were in- an ancient “library,” his father had said, a wonder of the past kept preserved by historians- the kit’s eyes alighted on the waters and the buildings sitting atop, somehow fighting against the movement of the ocean. There was no sand separating the infrastructure from the water, no pier reaching out impossibly far into the nothingness that the book claimed was once there- only more steel, more skyline, more city. _

_ “Kit,” a voice started warningly, “what did I tell you about touching the books with your bare hands?” _

_ Quickly, the kit’s hands jerked away from the book. “Sorry, father.”  _

_ The taller Rabbit walked over to him and picked the book up, his own hands carefully gloved. His gaze glanced down at what his son had been looking at. “I thought you had no interest in history,” he snorted as he carefully closed the ancient book and set it back on the shelf where the kit had found it. _

_ “I didn’t know the water cities weren’t always there,” the kit admitted sheepishly, wringing his hands together. _

_ “One thing you will learn is that at one point in time none of these cities were here. It used to be open waters, open fields, open skies and  _ forests _ of all things.” The Rabbit shuddered as he turned back to his son, a scowl giving away his disdain at the mere  _ thought _ of the nature that had once ruled their planet. “We’ve come a long way since our barbaric days, and we will go further. Don’t forget yourself, son- none of us are of  _ that _ world anymore. It is on our ancestors. We only look to the future. Now come along- it’s time to go home. Your mother is getting impatient.” _

_ No matter how he wanted to protest, the kit simply nodded and stood up from his seat obediently. “Yes, father.” _

* * *

They returned to the camp quiet and contemplative, both lost in their own thoughts but careful to stay together. The moons were still a fair distance apart but neither teen could find any real reason to stay out longer- not when they both had so much to think about.

“Hey, guys,” Mike greeted as they passed. Blu gave a short, acknowledging wave- more in response to the movement of Mike’s hand than anything, it wasn’t a gesture from Lapinia- and Red politely returned the greeting- politely but distantly.

Whatever the Human’s reaction was, Blu didn’t catch it. He wandered over to the stream at the edge of their clearing and sat down, staring at the water with a frown.

_ I already knew they were more than dreams, _ he admitted silently to himself,  _ but I guess part of me was still hoping. After the paths and shadows and things, I guess finding a stupid  _ ocean _ shouldn’t have surprised me... _

He sighed and reached down, dipping his fingers into the cold water. Sand dispersed and he realized with distaste that he now had sand clinging in his fur. He frowned.  _ Geez, do I need another bath already? _

_ Speaking of baths... _

Of course it had lingered there in the back of his mind- just  _ waiting _ for him to pick it back up. Red’s words- with one statement he had completely ripped apart every justification Blu or his parents had for the Tests... the Tests, the “practices,” everything.

_ Father always did have access to the ships... he was the General Commander for years before I was ever born. _

He wanted to convince himself his parents had simply never thought of it- much like he himself had never thought of it.  _ He gave me a Chaska, mother let me keep it... They even let me play it. Doesn’t that mean anything?  _ But it was only one good thing compared to everything else. His back stung with the memories of nights spent pinned to the floor, a knife pressed against his back as he tried so hard not to cry- until he became so numb to it... his father taking him to see the ships- so he could learn how to be a good  _ crewmember _ one day- maybe even the next General Commander... well, up until he was switched over to the dual pathway-  _ and no one asked me what  _ I _ wanted from it... _

The lectures for receiving less than perfect...

The praise he received for being “perfect”...

The trips his parents had taken him on to  _ learn _ and  _ observe... _

The threats and warnings about the camps if he wasn’t good enough...

The rules enforced in their home, “encouraging” him to study more...

He had always rationalized it. Oh, he  _ hated _ it, but he had always thought,  _ They’re just trying to protect me. They care about me, I’m their only son after all- they don’t want me ending up Below. _

Now, though, with that one statement...  _ “If they were trying to protect you from the system, they would have left to raise you on a planet where the system can’t reach you.” _

And it was true. That was the worst part- they had so many allies, and they knew of so many hospitable planets, and habitable planets, that if his parents really  _ were _ so afraid for his safety...

_ If they were really worried for me, they would have encouraged me to lie. They wouldn’t have been happy that... that I’m... they would have wanted to hide it- keep me  _ out _ of the government’s eyes- gods, it was all so obvious all along. How could I have ever justified it? _

He had thought he hated his parents before. Right then, though, he figured he knew  _ exactly _ what real hate was.

It was nothing like what he felt towards the Lacatrans.

_ Gods, if this is how  _ all _ Lacatrans feel towards Lapinians, it’s no  _ wonder _ they always want to kill them. _

It was a few seconds before he corrected himself with,  _ Us. Kill us. _

The word sat heavily on his mind and tasted sour in his mouth-  _ us. _ He couldn’t help but wonder if there ever was truly an  _ us _ on Lapinia.  _ There is what is Mine, what is Yours, what is Theirs, and  _ everything _ belongs to the government... there isn’t even an  _ us _ with parents-  _ they _ didn’t choose each other. No one belongs... _

It was disheartening- that he couldn’t even think of his own people as being one. 

That he couldn’t even tell himself anymore that he belonged there.

All of the doubts he’d ever felt growing up made themselves known as conscious thoughts, and he  _ hated  _ it. He’d always  _ felt  _ alone... but at that moment, he knew, he’d always  _ been _ alone, too.

The worst part was that it didn’t hurt at all.

* * *

_ He ran his fingers along the strings, listening carefully to how the different sounds worked with each other. Neither of his parents were in the room with him- in fact, neither of them were even in the house. His father was off doing who knows what- probably off-world, he figured- and his mother was at the labs in Capitol Square. _

_ Home alone, the kit felt very little hesitance to strum the instrument. He winced as two notes clashed, so he shifted his fingers slightly and tried again, receiving a more satisfactory result, and he smiled. He continued on this way until he had memorized which positions did what and which notes went together. _

_ After a few experimental strums he began to play, putting random notes together in a pleasing way. It sounded nice and it soothed him, filling him with the calmness of the notes themselves. He leaned back and just played with the instrument, nothing particular in thought but everything in mind. _

_ Somehow, someway, if felt like all of his cares were dispersed with the chords echoing out into the empty house. _

_ For the first time, he felt at peace. _

_ He smiled. _


	20. From the Treetops

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive and sick, thanks allergies! It snowed today.
> 
> It's March 12th.
> 
> In the southern USA.
> 
> It was only forty-something degrees (fahrenheit).
> 
> Spring starts next week.
> 
> Can... can someone explain this to me?

“Hey Blu!”

The Rabbit jumped, startled, as a hand fell on his shoulder, and instinctively he pulled away from the overenthusiastic touch... and, not for the first time, found himself tumbling into the freezing water.

Thankfully it was shallow so he wasn’t sent completely under, but it was enough to completely soak his clothes through. With a huff, he looked up at the sheepish Human.

“Mike,” he complained, pushing himself to his feet and stepping out of the stream, “please, do _not_ do that. You scared me.”

“Sorry,” Mike apologized, watching as Blu tried to wring the water out of his shirt _without_ taking it off. “I didn’t expect you to jump into the water.”

“I did not _jump_ into the water,” Blu immediately protested, shaking his head. “I _fell,_ there’s a difference.”

“You were sitting,” Mike deadpanned.

“Er... still.”

“Just come with me, yeah?” Mike requested, grinning. “You’ll probably need to take your wet clothes off but-”

“No way,” Blu snorted, shaking his head. “I’ll sit near a fire or something but I am not taking my clothes off, pervert.”

“Pervert?!” Mike squeaked, flushing in embarrassment. “No no no, you got it all wrong, I’m just concerned-”

“Mike,” Blu interrupted the Human, “I was just joking.”

There was a moment of silence before Mike snorted. “Right,” he agreed, running a hand through his hair. “I knew that, I was just playing along.”

“Right,” Blu agreed dryly, raising a brow. “What were you wanting to show me?”

“Freddy and I found something,” Mike told him, gesturing for him to follow. “Freddy was trying to show me and Jeremy how to climb a tree quickly to get to safety. Jeremy chickened out but I got to the top and... well...”

“Oh, so what you want me to see’s at the top of a tree, huh?”

“You can see it _from_ the top of the trees,” Mike corrected, blue eyes glancing back at the Rabbit as they made their way to the clearing edge. “That’s why just sitting by a fire won’t exactly help your situation...”

“I’ll deal with that later,” Blu muttered, tugging slightly at his wet shirt. It was _very_ cold, of course, but in the sunlight it wasn’t that bothersome. It was bad enough he’d been _naked_ in front of someone, he certainly didn’t want to be even half-naked in front of _everyone._

“Whatever you say,” Mike hummed, disapproval seeping into his voice. Blu’s ear twitched and he frowned, but neither said anything more as they approached the Ursian brothers and Jeremy.

The first thing Blu noticed was the way the brothers were standing tensely, voices lowered and frowning. They looked concerned.

Blu suddenly had a feeling that whatever Mike was about to show him wasn’t good. At all.

 _“No,”_ that voice agreed, its nonexistent breath seeming to ghost over Blu’s ears. An unpleasant shiver went down his spine and he glanced around, but the shadow was nowhere to be found. _“It is definitely not good, Bandi Cator.”_

Noticing their approach, Goldie nudged his brother and directed his gaze towards Mike and Blu. Both Bears raised a questioning brow as they took in Blu’s appearance.

“Blame Mike,” Blu immediately said, and Mike gave a little indignant squawk but didn’t otherwise protest his words.

Apparently deciding they didn’t want to know, Freddy asked, “You said you can climb trees just fine, right?”

“Yeah,” Blu muttered, glancing aside. “At least I know how to climb other things, so... I guess. Maybe. I dunno, never tried to climb a tree.”

“Convincing,” Goldie snorted. “Well, seeya at the top then.” Then the golden Bear was gone, disappearing into the leaves above. Freddy rolled his eyes.

“Just try,” Freddy told him, beginning his own ascent. “There is something very... concerning about this.”

Blu glanced at Mike then turned back to the campsite, scanning around. The Lacatrans were with the Foxes and one of the Chickens, but whatever they were doing Blu wasn’t privy to; their backs turned towards him, they blocked his view. Red and the second Chicken were both working on... well, if Blu had to put a name to it, he’d say they were _weaving_ something, and he had no idea whatsoever what it might have been but it seemed to be made of long grasses and thin vines...

“Blu?” Mike called, regaining the Rabbit’s attention. “Up, remember?”

“Right,” Blu agreed, turning back to the tree and frowning at it. He could see the rough bark, and he knew that all he’d have to do was use his claws in all the right places- he’d never had to use his claws on Lapinia, but then again Rabbits’ claws couldn’t exactly penetrate pure steel... wood, however, he knew he could at least get a grip on it.

 _My shoes could easily get me killed here,_ he decided, glancing down at the worn and damaged things. Sighing, he pressed the heel of his left foot against the toes of his right and tugged his foot upwards. The shoe stayed in place while his foot slipped out easily enough, and he repeated this process with his other foot.

“You don’t wear socks?” Mike sounded surprised and Blu furrowed his brow, looking at the Human. His brow was raised and his lips were somewhat twisted in an expression Blu couldn’t identify.

“Socks?” he repeated, confused. It wasn’t a familiar word to him and had absolutely no translation in his language. “What are those?”

“Um... well, they go on your feet before you put them in shoes. They protect your feet as much as they do the shoes, what with sweat and all...”

Blu stared at him for a few moments before, slowly, saying, “I’m from Lapinia, Mike. Lapinia, where there are no earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or trees left in nature. Lapinia, where there are cities on the oceans and in the sky. Get my point?”

It took a few seconds, but then Mike guessed, “Your shoes are air conditioned?”

The Rabbit promptly facepalmed. “No,” he explained, “it’s made of a synthetic material that is both insu- okay,” he started over, noticing Mike’s eyes almost instantly taking on that glazed _what the hell are you even saying_ expression. “On Lapinia, certain clothing items- such as coats, shoes, and suits for entering compromised areas, essentially have an internal equili- sorry, _balance_ that allows-”

“Are you coming?” Freddy called down, unintentionally interrupting Blu’s explanation of how Lapinia’s shoes basically eliminated the need for “socks.”

“Yes,” Blu called back, then said to Mike, “I’ll explain it later, okay?” Then he quickly began climbing the tree, using his claws- _Ugh they haven’t been trimmed in like two weeks!-_ to help keep his grip on the rougher surface. He didn’t spend much time dawdling in one place, quickly making it through the low hanging branches to the thicker ones above, which he was able to step onto and make his way up so much more comfortably.

He studied the branches before stepping or hopping over to them, trying not to think about the reason he knew exactly how to leap between and up to branches- trying not to think about it again. _Just be thankful you even know how._

Soon the branches started thinning again, but it wasn’t so extreme that Blu felt concerned about how sturdy they were; the entire forest seemed to be thick and the branches spread wide and strong, undoubtedly battling each other for the sunlight and rain that would fall. However, Blu did find himself unconsciously keeping a hand on the trunk even as he went higher, his claws scraping against the wood uncomfortably. Freddy was just above, and Goldie was waiting just below the top layer of the canopy.

Blu didn’t dare glance down- even if he couldn’t see through the thick leaf coverage, he knew how looking down wasn’t the best idea. Ever. It could be very... dizzying.

“Careful,” Goldie warned him before disappearing above the canopy. Freddy was quick to follow and Blu huffed softly, moving to follow after. He pushed leaves out of his way and ignored the small twigs scraping against his clothes, and before he knew it he was at the top.

Peeking out carefully, Blu took in the sea of green spreading from horizon to horizon- except, now that he knew it was there, he felt he could see a part of the “sky” that was sparkling just a _little_ too much to the east...

Pushing it out of his mind, he turned his gaze to the sky. The moons were slowly making their way across to meet each other, and the _wrongness_ of it came back suddenly to Blu- although there had only been three “red moons,” as he had started quietly calling them, it had been a bizarre pattern at best.

 _Wait,_ he suddenly wondered, furrowing his brow. _Is it three? Or just two? That “second” time was a dream... and then... No, it was two. Definitely two red moons._

_Still, it doesn’t make sense- well, nothing does... actually... how long was between those red moons? One night? How long was it since the last? I can’t remember- why can’t I-_

“Blu?” a voice interrupted, pulling the Rabbit from his thoughts. Blinking, Blu looked towards the Ursians, who were watching him with slight frowns and furrowed brows.

“Ah- sorry,” Blu quickly apologized. “I was just- I realized I can’t remember how long ago was the last red moon. Or, uh, how much time elapsed between the first and second... or how many red moons there’s been... I’m just really confused- sorry,” he cut himself off, realizing he was rambling. “What am I supposed to be looking at?”

The Bears shared a look before the elder gestured opposite of where Blu’s eyes had been- west. Blu let his gaze drift across the sky, trying to figure out just what the Bears were wanting him to see.

Then he saw it.

Two moons hung in the sky, moving slowly above their heads- so slowly it was imperceptible- to meet above, but towards the west, sitting almost side by side- one larger, lower and slightly redder- were two suns.

_Two suns._

“Wha-?” he uttered, shocked to the core- _never_ had anyone found a _habitable_ planet with _two suns_ before. At least _naturally_ habitable planets... even technically uninhabitable planets that Lapinia had been to the facilities had to be underground- the surface temperature of the planet was too high for even Lapinia’s best technology to combat. “How is that possible?” _How did we not see that?_

That was the bigger question- _We should have seen them both already!_ But they hadn’t. They had only ever seen the smaller yellow sun- the sun that was the ideal distance for life. Hell, Blu knew, he had _watched the sunset in that vision-dream thing…_ and it had only been that yellow sun.

But the suns were so close together- they should have seen the burning orange sun as well- they should have seen it.

 _But we didn’t. Why didn’t we? How could we have missed that? It’s_ right there! _Right in our faces! It’s_ closer _than the one we saw!_

 _Or... the one we_ noticed...

“I have a feeling,” Freddy started quietly, “that this planet is _much_ less normal than we’d like to think.”

“The atmosphere of this planet _has_ to be unlike anything we’ve ever seen before,” Goldie agreed, eying the vast blue expanse above them. “This could certainly explain the high temperature and odd amount of sunlight. As the planet moves, its position relative to the two suns moves as well... I wonder how this would affect the planet’s seasons?”

“I have a feeling it certainly explains the lack of animal life,” Freddy snorted, though he sounded very unamused. Blu simply shook his head.

“I _hope_ the atmosphere is unlike anything we’ve seen before,” he said, averting his gaze away from the suns and looking around. Everything seemed healthy, but... “Or else we’re all just gonna die from radiation.”

“Don’t say that,” Goldie groaned. “I was already worried enough.”

“I suppose we should begin staying out of the sun as often as possible,” Freddy sighed, and Blu glanced back as he ran a hand through his fur. “Just in case. This causes many more complications- being that the sunlight was our go-to “safe” spot...”

 _The silt,_ Blu suddenly thought, a frown tugging at his lips as his gaze was drawn back towards the ocean. _The silt is in the ocean and we know where the ocean is-_ “I have an idea,” he decided before dropping down below the canopy, quickly making his way back down.

“Blu, wait a minute!” Goldie yelped, but Blu continued his descent, pausing only long enough to switch over to his claws rather than the branches when it got to the point that he could not safely stand on the branches- whether because of how thin they were or how short. A few feet from the ground, Blu just leapt the rest of the way down, rolling in that way his teachers taught him to if he ever had to make a hasty escape and needed to jump from the security beams.

It wasn’t a perfect execution but Blu was used to metal ground, not uneven grass and dirt. Despite that it was effective, though his foot _did_ twinge a little as he stood back up.

“Blu!” Jeremy yelped, surprised by his reckless action. “You shouldn’t-”

“No time,” Blu interrupted, waving the Human’s concern off as he darted over to Red. The Bear was watching him, a brow raised. “Red, come with me! Please,” he added, almost forgetting himself. “There’s something important and it _has_ to be done before the next red moon and we have no idea whatsoever when that will be.”

“Blu, what the hell?” Goldie’s voice drifted over to him, and Blu knew without looking that the Ursians had finally gotten down. Red set the grass he was weaving aside.

“Where are we supposed to be going?” Red questioned, standing up. His expression reflected some doubt so Blu was more than a little thankful that the Bear trusted him.

“The ocean again,” Blu answered, completely ignoring the others. “I almost forgot with what happened earlier, but- I didn’t tell you, sorry, totally slipped my mind but- it’s-”

“The point, Blu,” Red interrupted gently.

“Right,” Blu hummed, trying to force his racing mind back on track. “When I had that dream I told you about with the ocean and all that, I saw something in the water that could be a _huge_ help to us since now we know going into the sunlight might not be a good idea at all-”

“Wait, what?” someone else voiced, clearly surprised.

“This planet has two suns,” Blu explained very briefly. “Can’t be sure but direct sunlight could mean harmful exposure to high amounts of radiation, if the atmosphere isn’t really weird and strong, so it’s best to stay to the shade during the day- which, obviously, with the shadow beast things, is a _huge_ problem. But- the sea- there’s this stuff- I sound crazy but-”

“Blu,” Red interrupted again, grabbing Blu’s wrists- and Blu suddenly realized he’d been gesticulating with his hands... and, he knew, that _had_ to be annoying. “I can’t understand a word you just said.”

Blinking, Blu mentally reviewed his words. _Oh,_ he thought dumbly, _halfway through I started babbling in Lapinian. The translation device must not have been able to keep up. Talk slower, moron..._

“Sorry,” he apologized, slower this time. “What I said was, it’s best to stay out of the sunlight, but since the sunlight is our primary defense against those shadow things it’s a problem, but I know something that can be used as a light source instead- and it’s not fire,” he added, certain that this time he was speaking in English. “It was something in that dream I told you about-”

“The one where you were drowning?” Red started warily, finally releasing Blu’s wrists. Mindless the Rabbit shook his hands, as if shaking off some sand.

“Well the first one I was drowning but the other one I was actually diving down to get something,” Blu corrected, “but yes. “

Red seemed hesitant- and Blu was sure the only reason he was giving Blu’s crazy idea even the time of day was because he’d seen the ocean that, logically, Blu should not have known was there, that ocean that Blu had seen twice in his dreams- well, dream and vision. Blu wasn’t sure how to describe the second time...

“Wait, what’s going on?” Freddy finally asked, a tint of exasperation in his voice. “What are you even talking about, Blu?”

“We found the ocean,” Red answered before Blu could. “Earlier. It was exactly the way Blu had seen it in a dream. Very real.”

“Are you _still_ trusting those things you’re dreaming about?” Bonnie snorted and Blu’s ear twitched.

“Oh no,” Freddy muttered, covering his eyes with one hand; he, and everyone else, could already feel the argument starting. “Here we go again.”

“Well so far they’ve kept me alive, so in this situation where I am both powerless and clueless? Yes,” Blu answered shortly, glaring towards the taller Rabbit.

“You’re _literally_ trusting something you only see or hear or whatever _in your head,”_ Bonnie emphasized, staring him down. “On Lacatra, we call that _crazy.”_

“Yeah yeah, and on Lapinia it’d get me sent to the Camps,” Blu snapped right back, rolling his eyes. “Yours isn’t the _only_ planet that views hearing voices and other stuff like that totally crazy, you know.”

“Camps?” someone muttered but Blu ignored them.

“Then _why in the world_ are you treating these dreams like they’re real?” Bonnie demanded, glaring back at him. “If even _your_ lot recognizes it’s crazy-”

“Oh I don’t know, maybe because so far it’s _been_ true? It-”

“You’re impossible-”

“And you’re _insufferable-”_

“I’m not the one who’s-”

“If you don’t believe me then why don’t you just come along and see for yourself!”

* * *

“You know I was being facetious when I invited you, right?”

“Yes,” Bonnie confirmed with a sneer. “And guess what- accepting is the best way to piss someone off when they’re being facetious or sarcastic, you little-”

“No fighting,” Fredric snapped at both Rabbits, glaring from his place between them. Bonnie huffed and glanced towards the canopy. “Honestly, and I was starting to think you two were learning to get along.”

“Yeah,” Bonnie snorted, glaring across towards Cator again, “like I could get along with a Lapinian.”

“We know you’re incapable of being mature,” Cator deadpanned, meeting his glare without a hint of hesitation, “so you don’t need to remind us every other hour.”

There was no way in hell that Bonnie would admit that that was actually a pretty good comeback. Not the best, but pretty good.

“Whatever,” he replied lamely. “You forgot your shoes, by the way, _Lapinian.”_ As if that was any better of a comeback...

“They were wet anyway,” the smaller Rabbit dismissed without missing a beat. “Walking in wet shoes is horrible.”

“I wouldn’t know,” was Bonnie’s smug response.

“Yes, go on celebrating ignorance-”

“Stop,” Fredric groaned, shaking his head. “Just- _stop it._ Can’t you two put your differences aside long enough to even survive?”

“Maybe if our lives were currently in danger,” Bonnie snorted, his thoughts flashing to the “death forest” that he and the blue Rabbit had ended up in that second day. They seemed to get along perfectly- well, _almost_ perfectly- well when they were trying to _not die._

“You do realize our lives are _literally_ currently in danger the entire time we’re on this planet, right?”

“Red,” Cator sighed, “you can’t use logic with him. He-”

“Watch it, Cator,” Bonnie cut off warningly, eying the Rabbit. Cator didn’t look fazed at all, simply looking back at him with a raised brow.

“I think _you_ should _watch it,_ Lacatran.”

 _That was an awful comeback,_ Bonnie thought as he shook his head. “What does that even-”

His question was cut off as he ran straight into a tree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooray for more twists, and if you didn't see the second sun thing coming- GOOD. Because I literally never even hinted at the second sun, except when talking about the heat and just how strong the light was. Please note that two or more stars being together is NOT strange, what they find strange is that two stars are this close to a _habitable_ planet! (Take that Star Wars)
> 
> There's a reason they didn't notice the second sun and it has to do with the way the planet rotates and something to do with the second sun itself. 
> 
> (Note when I say it's "bigger" than the yellow sun, I mean it's only a bit bigger- enough to be noticeable, not like a giant red pimple in the sky)
> 
> And ending on a somewhat humorous note. Yeee!
> 
> "the surface temperature of the planet was too high for even Lapinia’s best technology to combat." I wonder what significance this little fact will play... hint hint ;)
> 
> ALSO! I'm sorry I haven't answered messages in the last day or two, but I'm trying to get all my stories updated! While also doing schoolwork. And preparing for the upcoming student art show at my school. And just generally being sick, tired, and busy with friends and family... sorry!


	21. Respect and Common Ground

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am trying so hard to get Lakeview Road updated, but I can’t stand how the two chapters I have written came out so once again I am redoing them. I’m so sorry!
> 
> In other news, BTM is taking twice as long due to everything in my life happening and the fact that I’m writing the next TWO chapters at once. On the bright side, if I keep one chapter ahead- less time having to wait. 
> 
> Thanks for your patience.

Shafred watched silently as the trio made their way through the woods, back towards the ocean. Behind him the door whooshed open.

“Is all well?” Bonsha asked without preamble, approaching the Bear and the observation screen.

“They finally noticed the second sun,” Shafred answered simply. “The Lapinian, Ardrawn, and one of the Lacatrans are heading towards the ocean for some reason.”

“The sediment,” was the very simple, flat explanation. “The Teppupian must have directed the Lapinian towards it.”

“Perhaps.”

A strange silence fell between them, and Shafred glanced towards his companion. The Rabbit was frowning, his eyes on the screen- almost stubbornly so, as if he were refusing to look elsewhere.

“Did Fritz agree with your... plan?” Shafred asked after a few more moments.

“For personal reasons, he did. Not because I asked him to.”

“Right.” The Bear turned back to the screen, watching how the Lacatran rubbed his forehead and stalked after the younger Animals. “The Lapinian invited the Lacatran along sarcastically. He accepted to be difficult.”

“Typical Lacatran.” Bonsha dropped down in a seat nearby and leaned on the device, and Shafred couldn’t help but notice a strange, unfamiliar gleam in the Rabbit’s eyes. A voice in his head whispered _he’s concerned._ “Something will have to give. They will not survive if they keep butting heads like this.”

“Yes,” Shafred agreed, humming softly to himself. “One or the other has to break soon.”

Neither said more.

* * *

Bonnie was silent as he followed the teens- Fredric leading now, as Cator had paused and admitted he had no idea which way they were supposed to go- to who-knows-where. _The ocean,_ he reminded himself boredly- not like he knew what the _ocean_ looked like, anyway. He lived in the middle of a forest, after all, far away from the oceans of Lacatra.

_And,_ he mused silently, _even if I_ had _been to the ocean, not damn likely to get_ near _it- who knows what’s in it._

The Bear leading them suddenly took a turn, and the sound of crashing water reached Bonnie’s ears. He lifted his gaze to the thicker brush beyond as he followed the teens, ear twitching as the sound of water repeated. On the one hand, it reminded him somewhat of the rapids near his village- but at the same time it was so much more and less violent. It was short but crashing- loud, almost like something breaking.

“Oh, there’s the water,” he heard Cator mutter as he and Fredric began slipping through the trees and bushes. Bonnie eyed the bushes, noting how there was practically no gap- as if the forest had created a wall between itself and whatever was on the other side.

After a moment, Bonnie followed the younger Animals and pushed through the brush, silently cursing to himself as a stick tried to jab him in his side. However, it only lasted a moment; before he knew it, he found himself stumbling out of the brush and just barely managed to catch himself before he could go flying face-first into the sand.

Blinking, he stared at the sand- so blindingly white and pure looking, the only disturbance seemed to be the footprints from the Bear and Rabbit ahead. He turned his gaze upwards, looking down down down the hill of sand to the impossibly-blue water lapping over the shore, and as he moved his eyes further out he found himself watching a wave- at least twice as tall as himself, he noted even from that distance- collapse on itself.

The sound of crashing reached his ears.

Fredric and Cator had paused, the Rabbit turning westwards, so Bonnie glanced that way too.

All he could see was the sun.

“We can’t see it from here,” he just barely heard Cator say over the waves. Cautiously, he approached them.

“See what, exactly?” Fredric asked, barely glancing back at Bonnie as he stopped right behind them.

“The second sun,” Cator answered, frowning. “From here it must be behind the trees, or below the horizon... the trees _are_ pretty high, after all. Ah well, mystery for another day.”

“Where in the world are we?” Bonnie suddenly asked, glancing around. The sand was burning his feet, but he took some pleasure in knowing he wasn’t alone- Cator was not wearing shoes either this time.

The Rabbit seemed wholly unaffected by the burning sand, however. “It’s called a beach, Bonnie,” he answered without even looking at the taller Rabbit. “I know you have them on Lacatra so I don’t know why you’re so surprised.”

“I live in the forest region, _Cator,”_ Bonnie explained, emphasizing his name- _Why do you even use my familiar name? Who gave you that right?_ “I don’t live near the oceans.”

Fredric paused. “So you’ve never seen one before either...”

“What does that mean?” he questioned, glancing at Fredric with a raised brow. The Bear turned to him, a slight frown on his face.

“I live on a forest planet,” the Bear explained. “But we do have oceans as well. I lived hundreds of miles away from the closest lake, let alone ocean. Before today I had never seen an ocean or beach before.”

“Well I guess it should be no surprise Cator’s seen one,” Bonnie grumbled, glancing at the Rabbit a bit bitterly- _of course,_ he thought, _the Lapinian would know exactly what this is._

“Only in books,” the Rabbit answered absently, his eyes scanning the horizon. Bonnie raised a brow, letting the silence ask his question for him. After a few seconds, Cator glanced towards both him and Fredric. “What?”

“What do you mean “only in books”?” Fredric asked. Bonnie just watched the Rabbit, waiting for an explanation that he was sure was wholly uninteresting.

There was a beat of silence before Cator turned back towards the ocean with an almost-careless shrug. “The oceans of Lapinia have cities on them,” he explained simply, but his words held no surprise for Bonnie. After all, Lapinia was very anti-nature. “We don’t have a beach, and our oceans are calmed. It’s just more infrastructure, like the rest of the world. I’ve only seen the ocean like this in the books at the old library.” He paused, ears falling just enough to be noticeable. “Sandy Shores Library, actually. Not a very fitting name in modern times, but I guess a millennia ago it was very fitting...”

Something in the Rabbit’s tone got Bonnie’s attention- it sounded almost... sad. Regretful, even. Bonnie frowned, unsure of what to think.

“My father took me there once,” Cator continued, though his voice held a hint of bitterness. Briefly, Bonnie’s eyes flicked to the teen’s back, remembering the scars he had seen. Once again he was struck by just how _different_ Bandi Cator was to Akrai Cator. “I got in trouble for touching the books. Not proper for a six year old to touch thousand-year-old books, especially bare-handed.”

Not a hint of bitterness- the entire statement was bitter. Bonnie frowned.

“But at least I got to see some pretty pictures of how the world used to be!” the Rabbit added, suddenly sounding brighter as he started walking eastwards. Bonnie glanced towards Fredric, who was watching Cator with a strangely disapproving frown. “I need to find a stream leading into the ocean- not a river, a stream.”

“I can’t believe he speaks so casually of it,” Fredric murmured, voice barely carrying over to Bonnie.

“So casually of what?” Bonnie questioned, raising a brow at the Bear.

The Bear was silent for a few moments before shaking his head. “It’s none of your concern, Trey,” was the answer he received before calling out after the Rabbit, “I’ll check the other way.”

“Okay!” the response came, just barely audible.

Fredric turned to Bonnie, frowning sharply. “Go with Blu,” he stated simply. “I can take care of myself but-”

“I get it,” Bonnie cut him off dryly. “Cator is likely to get himself killed.”

“Stop calling him Cator,” Fredric almost growled, and Bonnie raised a brow quizzically.

“I either call him Cator or Lapinian,” he stated matter-of-factly. “He’s no friend of mine.”

“Maybe not,” Fredric agreed, “but he _is_ a friend of mine, and he _is_ an ally of yours right now. You don’t have to like him or even respect him, but you should recognize that he’s doing what he can to survive just as much as we are, and you _need_ to learn to get along not just for your sakes, but for everyone else's too.”

“Whatever,” Bonnie sighed, rolling his eyes and turning to follow after the shorter blue Rabbit. If Fredric said anything else, Bonnie didn’t catch it.

Of course he _knew_ the Bear was right- he had to learn to get along with the other Rabbit somehow, at least until they could find a way off of the planet. His gaze landed on the shorter blue Rabbit ahead of him, frowning slightly as he watched the way he scanned the sand. He was unlike any Lapinian Bonnie'd had the misfortune of knowing, and he seemed worlds apart from his father.

Well, he literally _was,_ but Bonnie chose to ignore that.

The bottom line was, as much as Bonnie didn't want to accept it, Bandi Cator simply wasn't like the Lapinian guards that freely ran around his village. If they had to be stuck with any Lapinian, he should be thankful it was another Rabbit with as low an opinion about Lapinia as he had.

Cator’s eyes were on the sand, and as Bonnie approached him he caught a soft humming as if under the Rabbit’s breath. It was an oddly gentle sound, though not quite in tune he noted- as if the Rabbit wasn’t quite sure how to use his vocal chords that way.

_Probably doesn’t,_ Bonnie reminded himself. _He_ is _a Lapinian. They don’t do music._

It brought back a recent memory- the Rabbit washing the blood and dirt from his hands, wrapping them up in a makeshift bandage with his gaze stubbornly down and refusing to look at Bonnie as he admitted that he wanted to pursue music, not science.

_‘I just want to play music. It’s the only thing I liked on Lapinia.’_

Those had been the Rabbit’s words back then- but how, he wondered, could the Lapinian learn music when they didn’t teach it- didn’t _have_ it- on Lapinia?

_He made a Chaska,_ he remembered. _He tried to teach himself._

But that could have only gotten him so far, Bonnie knew- Bonnie, who had been taught by his father and then his grandmother, once his father was gone... there was only so much the little Rabbit could have taught himself.

Bonnie hated to admit it, but with a little training the Rabbit sounded like he could actually be pretty good at singing. Even without training he wasn’t exactly _bad..._ just out of tune.

Then Cator’s emerald eyes glanced at him, and his humming immediately ceased.

“I thought you were going with Red, Bonnie,” he muttered, turning his gaze back to the sand stretching out in front of them.

“Fredric told me to follow you, _Cator,”_ Bonnie explained, crossing his arms and watching the younger Rabbit. “Will you stop calling me Bonnie? It’s really weird.”

“Why would I _not_ call you Bonnie?” Cator questioned as he continued walking along. “It’s your name.”

“You don’t like me,” Bonnie deadpanned. “Shouldn’t you be distancing yourself, not using my familiar name?”

“Familiar name?” Cator repeated, confusion clear in his voice as he glanced back at Bonnie. “What does _that_ mean?”

“It means _my_ name, not my _family_ name,” Bonnie explained a bit irritably. “You know- Bonnie is my familiar name, Spring is my brother’s familiar name- Freddy, Goldie, Mike, Jeremy-”

“Oh, you mean the informal name,” Cator cut him off, seeming to understand as he turned his gaze back towards the horizon.

“The hell’s an informal name?” Bonnie snorted, shaking his head. He really didn’t understand where the Lapinians got their terms from...

“The first part of a person’s name. You call it a familiar name apparently.”

“Well duh,” Bonnie sighed, rolling his eyes. “Only friends, family, allies and people within the same village use the familiar name because it’s a _familiar_ name.”

“On my planet,” Cator began wryly, “use of the informal name alone is disrespectful, and only parents call their children by the informal name.”

Blinking, Bonnie looked at him. Something in that sentence sounded wrong. “Wait, what?”

“Me calling you Bonnie isn’t me showing familiarity, it’s me showing I don’t respect you,” Cator deadpanned. “Which is why I find it weird _you_ call me Cator, because _that_ shows respect, and it’s very weird because I know for a fact you _don’t_ respect me.”

Bonnie just watched him strangely, frowning. “You call the others by their familiar names.”

“That’s because I don’t hold respect for anyone here,” Cator answered flatly, barely glancing at him. Bonnie scowled. “I like them well enough, but only _Red_ has given me any real reason to _respect_ him and he told me to call him Red, anyway.”

He chose not to point out how incredibly _wrong_ that was- knowingly disrespecting someone you liked. He also chose not to point out that Freddy had in a way become the leader of their strange little group, and by default deserved respect _anyway._ No, the Rabbit was a little more concerned with something _else_ the teen had said as the wrongness of his earlier words just became more and more apparent.

“So,” Bonnie started, “you literally just told me use of the famil- _informal_ name is disrespectful. That means in your culture it’s _rude.”_ When Cator nodded simply, Bonnie said, “but then you immediately followed it up with _parents_ use their child’s informal name to refer to them.”

“Of course,” Cator laughed, almost derisively. Bonnie frowned. “Parents don’t respect their children- children respect their parents.”

And suddenly Bonnie understood the truth. Wryly, he said, “So the real reason you’re refusing to show respect to the others is because you’ve been forced your entire life to show respect to the people you hate the most.” Cator stumbled slightly, apparently surprised at his words, and Bonnie _knew_ he was on the right track. “You associate respect with submission to authority, and if I’m right about your parents then you associate respect with fear and hate.” He eyed the Rabbit somewhat critically, noting the way the Rabbit’s eyes had widened.  _Bingo._ “Now did I miss anything?”

“J-just- you don’t know anything,” Cator immediately protested, but Bonnie knew he was right in the way Cator refused to look at him. It was almost disheartening- that someone could hate another person so much that the thought of associating even near-strangers with an aspect of their relationship was displeasing.

Bandi Cator respected Akrai Cator. Bandi Cator _hated_ Akrai Cator. Therefore, Bandi Cator would not _respect_ any of their companions- because _respect_ and _hate_ were synonymous to the Rabbit.

_He doesn't even know what real respect is..._

_How depressing._

“You enjoy being able to call people by their familiar name without getting in trouble,” Bonnie guessed, not taking his eyes off of the teen. The younger Rabbit continued staring stubbornly ahead. “Since it’s their “informal” name, as you call it, it feels more personal- and let me guess, you don’t really find it rude or disrespectful, you just know in your _culture_ it’s disrespectful.” He received no answer, which in itself was answer enough. He pressed on with, “You don’t find it disrespectful because you don't like your family name- your “formal” name if I’m right? You feel insulted when people call you _Cator._ You-”

“Okay, just- stop!” Cator snapped at him, his ears flattening. “Just stop, I get it- you read me like an open book, just like everyone _else_ on this god-forsaken planet- oh, and there I go invoking a religion that died out two thousand years ago,” the Rabbit groaned, slapping a hand to his forehead. Bonnie raised a brow at him. The Rabbit still wouldn’t look at him.

“Good to know I’m right,” Bonnie hummed mirthlessly, watching the Rabbit drop his hand to his side. He stared ahead, brow creased in displeasure- he looked somewhat defeated, Bonnie couldn't help but notice. As if he was wondering just how his excuses all fell apart so easily... “My only question is _why.”_

Cator paused, a frown tugging at his lips, and Bonnie immediately knew he wouldn't really get an answer. He waited anyway.

“What makes you think,” the younger began, voice suddenly quiet, “that you of all people have a right to know that?”

Bonnie breathed out and rolled his eyes- _he’s such a teenager._ “Look,” he started, reaching out and grabbing the Rabbit’s shoulder to stop him walking away. He ignored the way Cator flinched at his touch. “I get it- you’re not your father. You’re hardly a Lapinian at all,” he added, noting the way the Rabbit’s ear twitched as if acknowledging his words. “But that doesn’t mean you’re _not_ a Lapinian.”

“Maybe,” Cator started, “instead of hating me for what I was, you should have learned to hate me for _who_ I was.” The emerald eyes glared up at him now and Bonnie just stared back, not backing down.

“For that to happen you’d have to already know who you _are,”_ Bonnie answered without any hesitation. Cator lost his glare immediately, blinking at him. Bonnie continued before the teen could voice his confusion, saying, “You’re all over the place, Cator- the only consistent thing with you is you want to _learn._ You keep observing us and asking questions when you want to know something, but even when you want to _understand_ it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re _interested_ in it- and despite your interest in music, I’ve noticed you never once went back to that makeshift Chaska of yours.” It was said almost accusingly, which was surprising even to Bonnie. _Why should I care that he left it alone?_

Cator watched him silently for a few moments, the only sound the waves crashing down on the sand. Finally, though, the Rabbit looked away stubbornly and muttered, “I can’t play that well, and I certainly don’t want to get _lectured_ about not being able to play an instrument that isn’t even native to my planet.” He tried to pull away from Bonnie to continue walking, but Bonnie didn’t let go or even loosen his grip.

_You're one stubborn Rabbit._

“Well then how about you fucking _ask_ the two people who know how to play to _help?”_

He said it before he even thought about it- but it was too late to take his words back now. Cator looked at him again, blinking in surprise.

“What?”

“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” Bonnie sighed to himself, glancing skywards, “but if you want so badly to know how to properly play a Chaska, all you had to do was _ask,_ like you do with everything else."

“But why would you even help me?" Cator asked, voice uncharacteristically soft- clearly he was confused, not that Bonnie could really blame him. It was the only thing Bonnie could think of, though- the only way he could think of to try and get along. "You hate me.”

“No, I hate your father and your _connection_ to him,” Bonnie corrected, keeping his eyes on the sky- he certainly didn’t want to negate his words with an accidental glare. “I don't even know _you,_ but Lapinians don’t _do_ music- even I know that,” he continued. “When you told me you wanted to be a musician, it _separated_ you from Lapinia and your father- and the more things you say the more separated you become. I might not _like_ you, and you might not like me,” he admitted, finally looking back at the Rabbit, “but we _do_ have to learn to get along, and if you _actually_ want to learn how to play music then that’s common ground and a place to start.”

Cator didn’t look like he knew how to respond, simply blinking up at him with shocked green eyes. Bonnie studied him for a moment, debating with himself on what to say next.

Of course, Bonnie knew, if he were to help the younger Rabbit with _this,_ then he was at _least_ going to get a basic level of respect from him. Not in the way Cator was used to, but _proper_ respect- the basic respect that Bonnie had been taught that all living creatures (with the exception of Lapinians, but he could make an exception for that... this time) inherently deserved.

“But,” he started, finally releasing Cator’s shoulder and holding up a finger at the Rabbit, “you have _got_ to stop saying things like _just a colonist_ and _barbaric_ and shit like that- I can deal with you using my familiar name but I do _not_ take kindly to being called a savage, and next time you say _anything_ like it _any_ progress that is made is _instantly_ gone. Got it?”

Cator seemed too shocked to even really respond as he simply nodded, staring wide-eyed at him. Bonnie didn’t mind- it made it easier anyway. He stared at the Rabbit, searching for any sign of misunderstanding, disinterest or malice. All he could find was surprise, confusion and understanding. _It's a start._

“Good.” Bonnie dropped his hand to his side, not breaking eye contact with the younger Rabbit. “In that case I’ll stop calling you by your father’s name, if it really bothers you so much.”

With that said, Bonnie continued walking on past the Rabbit. Not another word was exchanged, but he could hear the shifting of the sand behind him, telling him that the Rabbit- _Bandi,_ he had to remind himself now- was following him.

Hopefully, he mused, this compromise would help them get along.

* * *

Bonsha observed the two Rabbits as he carefully adjusted the knob on the device. He was all alone in the room, Shafred having been called away on _higher-up_ business with Fueller himself, and was taking an  _unofficial_ note of how the experiment was moving along.

He felt immense relief at the Lacatran’s words, knowing it meant that the younger Rabbit was no longer in any danger from his companion, and he couldn’t help but smile slightly to himself. _So different yet so the same..._

_History always repeats,_ he reminded himself as he watched the two wander along the shore in almost-companionable silence, _and it’s not always a bad thing._

Breathing out, he switched over towards the camera following the Ardrawn. The Bear was simply walking along, an oddly contemplative frown on his lips- the kind of frown that wrinkled the brow and slouched the shoulders. He was deep in thought, Bonsha knew.

Undoubtedly he was thinking of everything he had learned about the Lapinian in their midst. Or perhaps, he mentally added, the Bear was simply wondering how long they'd be able to survive on nuts and berries- not long, especially the Foxes...

Bonsha played with the communicator on his wrist, frowning at the Bear on the screen. The Bear seemed to frown back at him.

The Rabbit sighed and turned off the screen.

_Fritz needs to hurry._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo, so finally Bonnie and Blu are gonna make an attempt to get along! Now we're getting somewhere.
> 
> Now why the fuck did Red trust Bonnie to protect Blu if something goes wrong. Wtf Red what are you doing? (he's doing something that you won't get to know for a while...)


	22. Rot' on the Beach

_~16 Hours Before_

The suns were beating down harshly on the planet below as the Human gazed across the forested landscape below. From there it was easy to think that the planet was full of life, with the thick forest and the wind. By all logic, definitely, the planet should have been swarming with life.

But it wasn’t. Not beyond the plantlife that had taken up there.

Oh sure, it had once been full of life, back when the Teppupians were on the planet- back when they had a tight hold on climate control.

Before the Crystals were Active.

With its plentiful plantlife and self-cleaning fresh water, the planet was the ideal place for an uncontrolled behavior study- see if the subjects could get along well enough to survive. It was already a stretch from the start that they would possibly survive the entire experiment, but with the addition of the shadows it was now nigh on impossible.

Bonsha was wanting to level the playing field, he knew. He couldn’t do anything about the Crystals, but they could do little things. Little things that, hopefully, Fueller wouldn’t notice.

He understood perfectly well what Bonsha was doing and the why, and he completely agreed with it... but it was risky, at best. A death sentence at worst.  _ We’ll have to play our cards very carefully. _

The experiment- he’d read the file. It had been slated to last five years, as defined by the Galactic Enterprise’s council. With the Crystals Active, he knew, the beings now living below wouldn’t survive even one on the dead planet.

_ “Get better sources of food for them,” _ was Bonsha’s request.  _ “I don’t care from what planet, as long as it’s edible and safe. Maybe from one of their planets, so they’re  _ sure _ it’s safe. Fruits, grains, animals for the meat-eaters... just make sure they have enough food to retain their strength. And just get anything else you think might help them survive.” _

He fiddled with the control panel on his ship. It wouldn’t take too long to drop by a few different planets, with his advanced ship...

Lapinians weren’t the only ones capable of travelling to other galaxies.

_ And thanks to my ingenuity,  _ I _ can do it faster than all of them. _

With that in mind, Fritz turned to the control panel and typed something into the console. He’d make a few trips, he decided, plotting his course; drop by a planet or two before moving to the planets further away...

With a plan in mind, he inputted the desired coordinates and set his ship on course. He took one last glance at the planet below. 

_ I won’t let you die, Mikey-Boy. _

* * *

 

_ Current Time _

“So no offense or anything,” Bandi started, and Bonnie glanced in his direction, “but why  _ did _ Red send you after me? Considering Red and I are... uh, friends, and you and I are not.” 

Bonnie raised a brow, noting his stumble before the word  _ friends, _ as if it was a foreign concept to him, but he answered simply, “Could be him trying to force us to get along.”

Of course, Bonnie mused, there might have been a darker reason for it- Fredric was a Bear from Ardraw, after all. Bonnie didn’t know much about Bears, but one thing he knew for a fact was that Bears were, by their very nature, predators.

He liked to think that Fredric had sent him for the former reason and not the latter. 

“I guess so,” Bandi hummed thoughtfully, and Bonnie let his own gaze scan over the beach. “Oh!” Almost immediately he looked back at Bandi, confused as he watched the smaller Rabbit run over to the forest-

Then his feet got caught in the sand and sent him crashing down with a startled squeal.

_ And now we know to not run in beach sand, _ Bonnie thought, approaching the teen as he pushed himself up out of the sand.

“Aw geez, my fur,” he just barely caught the Rabbit mutter as he climbed back to his feet, trying to pat the sand off of his clothes. It was at that moment that Bonnie remembered that Bandi’s clothes were wet- there was no way in hell he was getting the sand off without actually washing them.

His first instinct was to laugh but he bit his tongue. “What made you run like that anyway?” he questioned instead, raising a brow. Bandi looked at him, and from the way his lips tilted he could just  _ tell _ the teen was struggling not to pout.

“That weird looking tree, I remember it,” he stated matter-of-factly, looking back towards the forest and hurrying- much more carefully- up the dune. Bonnie followed, relief washing over him when they reached the shade.

_ Yikes, I forgot the sand was that fucking hot. _

Looking up at the tree Bandi had indicated, he noted that in one place its almost-black bark was strangely stripped away, revealing the lighter, smoother wood beneath. If anything, he couldn’t help but liken the mark to a scar- like the ones his brother had, but much more noticeable. Letting his eyes scan upwards he found a strange bend near the center, where it curved out to the right before curving back left and straightening out again, and the branches near the top seemed almost striped with areas of bark and missing bark.

The leaves at the top were thin and pale, and Bonnie had a feeling this tree wouldn’t survive much longer.

“So we’re going the right way,” Bonnie surmised, glancing back at the smaller Rabbit. Bandi’s eyes were back on the sand, scanning over it for any signs of change.

“Yeah.”

Bonnie glanced at the sky, frowning. The moons seemed to be... moving faster.  _ It’s just your paranoia, _ he silently scolded himself, following the now-sandy Rabbit further down the beach.  _ Moons don’t just pick up speed. _

_ Of course, moons don’t just turn red and shadows don’t just attack you from nowhere. _

Pushing that thought aside, he focused on the sand before them. As far as he could see there wasn’t really a break in the sand- no streams, like the Rabbit had indicated there’d be.

“I don’t see anything,” he noted aloud to the younger Rabbit. “Just sand and water.”

“Well of course you don’t see it,” Bandi almost laughed, prompting Bonnie to look back over at him. He was stood at the top of the dune on the grass, looking down the beach. “It’s, uh, channeled I guess is a way to put it. Just looking at it from a distance will look like smooth sand. Have to actually walk that way.” 

“So more walking on the incredibly hot sand in the potentially dangerous sunlight.”

“Don’t be so dramatic, the stream comes out of the forest- we could easily walk along up here in the shade and find it just the same.”

Bonnie raised a brow as the Rabbit turned and began walking down the beach, staying along the tree line. “If you fall down the dune I’m not catching you,” he warned as he went to follow, glancing out towards the ocean again. 

“I don’t expect you to,” Bandi threw back at him without hesitation. Bonnie just shook his head, staring out at the water sparkling under the sunlight. It looked so peaceful, despite the monster waves crashing and breaking over themselves and almost violently striking at the shoreline. It was a shade of blue he’d never really seen in nature before... 

Another yelp from ahead got the Lacatran’s attention, and he looked over towards Bandi to see... 

“Where’d you go this time,” he sighed, hurrying forward. However, as he closed in on where Bandi was before, the stream- a bit wider than Bonnie expected from Bandi’s description of it- came into view, and the shorter Rabbit was climbing back to his feet. “Oh,” Bonnie snorted, coming to a stop next to the water, “looks like you found the stream.”

“Thank you for that observation,” Bandi huffed, gripping the hem of his shirt and pulling it away from his fur. His entire frontside was soaking, and Bonnie could see the scene in his head; the Rabbit, distracted by something or other- much like Bonnie had been- stumbling face-first right into the freezing cold stream. “I’m getting awfully tired of falling in water.”

“This makes what, three?”

“Twice in one day,” Bandi finally pouted, apparently just  _ done _ with life for the day. “On the bright side, the sand is gone...” He then started wringing the shirt out, muttering under his breath as Bonnie just watched him. With all of its tears and the rips and holes from their misadventures in the forest, Bonnie personally thought the Rabbit should just toss the shirt away.

Of course, Bonnie’s own shirt was only faring slightly better in that he so far hadn’t needed to make bandages out of it. Eventually, he knew, he’d have to toss it.

Eventually all of them would.

_ So we need to find something we can make clothes out of, _ he said silently to himself as he watched Bandi attempt to shake his ears clear of water. It only succeeded in making his fur puff up, and Bonnie snorted at the sight.  _ But we’ll also need to make tools to make clothes. The Ursians and Bandi will probably be useless, since their shirts are made by machines... I don’t know enough about Avia or Vulpinia to know... same with Earth... but Fredric should know how, and Spring and I do. Maybe we should- _

His thoughts were interrupted as a low growl reached his ears- if it could even be  _ described _ as a growl. In fact, it sounded like some nasally gravelly high-pitched grunting, a sound that he simply didn’t know how to describe.

Bandi looked at him, a strange look in his eyes. “Did... you just hear that?”

“Yes, yes I did,” Bonnie confirmed. It sounded again, and both Rabbits looked towards the tall bushy barrier between the beach and the forest. “What... the  _ fuck _ is that?” he asked warily, taking a few steps away from the bush. It growled again.

Bandi stepped out of the stream closer to the bush, and Bonnie promptly reached forward, grabbed his arm, and pulled him away. 

“Hey!” Bandi immediately protested, trying to pull his arm away from Bonnie.

“Look, we  _ don’t walk towards _ growling bushes,” Bonnie told him pointedly, not letting go of him. “In fact we get the hell  _ away  _ from the bush and whatever might be behind it.”

As if to accentuate Bonnie’s words, a loud squeal seemed to shriek out at them from the other side of the bush and both Rabbits’ attention snapped back to the forest. 

“Okay, I think I agree,” Bandi gave, willingly stepping back closer to Bonnie. “Maybe if we back away-”

Then something big and brown and with long fangs and a flat face practically exploded out of the bush, sending leaves and sticks flying everywhere as it let out an angry shriek and ran straight at them. Bonnie let out a startled scream as he jerked back... right off the edge of the dune. He lost his grip on Bandi’s arm as he fell backwards and went tumbling down the hill, scrambling to try and catch himself and  _ what the fuck was that thing?! _

Bonnie just barely registered Bandi landing on his legs, pushing himself up out of the sand and looking back up the dune. 

The wild  _ thing _ was tumbling down right at them, shrieking and squealing all the way.

“Fuck fuck fuck!” Bonnie grabbed Bandi by the nape of his shirt and practically dragged him out of the flailing creature’s way, stumbling up to his feet as he did so.

“Choking, choking!” Bandi gasped as Bonnie pulled him up.

“Sorry,” Bonnie apologized, letting go of his shirt and looking at the creature getting to its feet.

It screeched as it turned and ran straight at them again. Bonnie decided it must have been angry-  _ Did we trespass?! _

“Run!” Bandi squeaked, darting away but Bonnie didn’t need telling twice, following the shorter Rabbit across the sand. He quickly caught up.

“I thought you said there were no animals on this planet!” Bonnie shouted, glancing over his shoulder at the gaining freak of nature.

“I never said that!” Bandi immediately countered between laboured breaths. “I said we don’t know what’s here!”

“Well now we do!”

“Can we not argue while we’re potentially running for our lives?!” Bandi gasped out, but before Bonnie could respond he turned sharply towards the water.

“Where the hell are you going?!” he demanded, almost stumbling as he changed course to follow. “Hey, if you’re gonna run in a different direction, run towards the  _ trees, _ you crazy Rabbit!”

The younger Rabbit didn’t even slow down as he ran straight into the water, and Bonnie watched as something along the surface crackled. When his own foot hit the water, he quickly figured out that it was-

Ice.

The water was even colder than the river by their campsite and he let out a gasp as he stumbled. Not even the sun beating down on them made the water’s icy grip tolerable, and he could feel his instincts screaming at him to  _ get out before you freeze! _

Bonnie looked back only to realize he had gone further than he noticed- the water was up to his knees, and he could practically feel the ice forming in his pants and fur. However, the  _ thing _ only made it a few steps into the water before skidding and backing up back to the hot sand, squealing and shrieking angrily at them.

He felt Bandi’s hand grip his arm, and he looked down at the shorter Rabbit.

“Animals that act on instinct won’t put themselves in uncomfortable situations,” the Rabbit told him, his breathing shaky from running and, Bonnie had no doubt, the cold. “Come on.” He tugged on Bonnie’s arm, back towards the direction of the stream, and Bonnie grit his teeth. What choice did he really have?

“Fine,” he agreed, letting the teen lead him through the water. “How’d you know the water was this cold?” he asked, eying the Rabbit; clearly he had known the water was too cold for instincts to allow  _ anything _ to stay in it...

“Dream,” Bandi muttered in answer, not looking at him.

“I’m sorry I asked,” Bonnie sighed, looking back to shore. The  _ thing _ was following along on the sand and he grimaced. “How are we gonna get outta here, exactly?”

“Run like hell to the trees and climb?” Bandi suggested.

“Brilliant plan, you’re a genius.”

“No need to get sarcastic...”

* * *

Quietly, Foxy moved through the trees, eyes scanning for any sign of food. He and Mangle had managed to convince Freddy to let them go search for something- anything- other than nuts and berries. Undoubtedly, he thought, the Bear had to be feeling the effects of not eating. Everyone had to be. Nuts and berries could only sustain someone for so long... 

Foxy, however, was not built to live off of berries and nuts.

Hoping for any sign that something  _ alive _ and made of  _ meat _ lived there, Foxy crept through the underbrush. Mangle was not far behind him, following along just as quietly, but he paid his fellow Fox no mind right then, focused as he was on the task at hand.

Ears twitching and clutching his makeshift knife- courtesy of Spring and some strangely primitive saw-like tool- he looked around. He could hear footsteps moving rapidly through the trees, running towards them...

“Foxy,” Mangle hissed, and he lifted a hand to shush the other.

“I hear it,” Foxy confirmed, staying low and waiting to see who or what it was. After a few seconds, though, Fredric burst through the underbrush and Foxy let out a disappointed sigh, relaxing his stance. “It just be Fredric,” he told the Fox.

Fredric’s ears twitched and he skid to a stop. “Foxy!” he called, and Foxy looked towards him sharply. Something in his tone was... alarming. Fredric hurried over to him, his breathing harsh and uneven. “Thank the Gods, someone with a knife- there’s a thing- chasing-”

Before Fredric could spit the situation out, a loud shrieking squeal sounded through the woods and something else burst into the area. Foxy gave the creature- an ugly brown thing with tusks the size of daggers sticking out its flat face- a once over before gripping his knife. He grinned.

_ Meat! _ He thought gleefully as the thing ran straight at him.

“Foxy, move!” Fredric yelped as he moved away out of the creature’s way. “I don’t know what that is!

“Might be dinner,” Mangle stated matter-of-factly. “Where’d you find it?”

“On the beach-” but Foxy was no longer listening as he launched himself over the thing. As he flew overhead, he kicked his feet down and almost violently knocked the creature to the ground, and Foxy stumbled upon landing. Quickly, he whirled around and brought the knife down right through the creature’s spine,  listening to the satisfying  _ crunch _ as it sliced right through.

The thing let out a shriek and began trying to thrash away, though he noted that it could not move its hind legs, and Foxy called, “Mangle, get its throat!”

Mangle did not hesitate to lurch forward and drop down, driving their knife right through the throat of the creature. Within moments the last of its movements stilled and Foxy pulled his knife out, leaning back on his toes. He looked over at Fredric, who appeared somewhat horrified at the bloody sight before him.

“What, never been huntin’ before, lad?” Foxy asked, raising a brow at the colonist.

“Never like that!” Fredric sighed and rubbed his face, shaking his head at Foxy. “How did you do that?”

“Me pa used to raise these suckers,” Foxy answered proudly, wiping his blade off on the grass as he stood up. “Taught me how to get ‘em when they be enraged like this.”

“Rotiline,” Mangle supplied the name with a shrug, also cleaning off their blade. “Usually pretty docile, especially on farms, but sometimes they get really angry and go wild. Very dangerous.” They grinned over at Foxy. “I learned how to take ‘em out in the Rotiline Incident several years ago.”

Foxy let out a low whistle, impressed. “Damn, didn’t twenty-seven people get killed in that?”

“Yep,” Mangle confirmed, practically preening under the praise. “But not me! Only thirteen years old and I only lost a hand.” They then added, “a Rot’ fell on it after I got knocked down.”

He winced at the image in his head- Rotilines weren’t the heaviest creature in the world, but falling on a teenager’s hand... “Well looks like the docs gave ye a mighty nice fake,” he complimented, and Mangle grinned back at him, flexing the fingers on their right hand.

“Thanks-”

“Excuse me for interrupting,” Fredric started, “but I found this... “Rotiline” on the beach where Bonnie and Blu are. There might be more-!”

Foxy’s ears flicked and he nodded. “Very well,” he started, standing up. “Mangle, yer knife.” The Fox tossed their knife over to Foxy, and he caught it easily by its hilt. “Take the Rot’ back to camp. Fredric, take me to the beach.”

Both Animals nodded, easily obeying the older Fox’s orders, and Mangle even gave him a mock salute before they hoisted the Rot’ up and began back towards the campsite. Fredric turned back in the direction he came from and hurried through the trees.

Foxy wasted no time in following; no matter how easy it was for him to take down the Rot’, he knew how they worked. The Rabbits, on the other hand... 

Well, he doubted Rotilines were found on very many planets outside of New Vulpinia. Now that he thought of it, what  _ was _ a Rot’ doing on  _ this _ planet in the first place? There weren’t even any fields of rovlin grass or presden fruits...

It made no sense, but he decided that was best to be figured out later.  _ Need to focus on the Rabbits, _ he decided, hurrying after Fredric in the direction of crashing water.

_ Better be quick ‘fore the Rabbits die. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heheh
> 
> Blu ain't letting no strange creature keep him from gettin' that sweet sweet silt


	23. Peaches and Daikets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAGGGHHHHH GUYS I AM SO SORRY I didn’t mean to take an impromptu 3 month hiatus! I’ve just been really down lately and writing has felt like a chore and hasn’t been fun, but I’m gonna try and keep up now that I’ve got my groove back.

“So this is nice. Never imagined I’d die by freezing to death. I didn’t even know you _could_ freeze to death. Well okay, that’s a lie, but still.”

“Oh come on, we’ve already survived worse than this,” Blu muttered, making his way through the water and towards the stream. “Besides, you’re not gonna freeze to death.”

“Right, I’m just gonna get mauled by that thing.”

“Don’t be so dramatic.”

They reached the stream and Blu paused, looking at the lighter freshwater spreading out over the thicker, heavier seawater. Then he looked further out into the sea, to where the waves were crashing and the stream finally dispersed. _That’s where it... I...? dived in the dream. But I don’t know how to swim._

_“How you get the silt is up to you,”_ that voice seemed to echo in his mind, and his ears twitched. He stared at the water. _The glow is, supposedly, the product of the sea- and freshwater mixing. So by that logic, I should be able to force mix it closer to the stream’s mouth. But..._ he lifted his gaze back to the strange creature pacing back and forth on the shoreline, just waiting for them to get any closer.

Bonnie was being very silent and Blu briefly wondered if the Rabbit had died from the cold already, but he dismissed the thought with a quick glance towards his companion.

“I’m gonna be honest, I dunno what to do now,” Blu finally told Bonnie.

“I figured that out already,” Bonnie told him flatly, briefly glancing over at him. “But y’know I don’t _actually_ expect you to know how to fight this thing, right? No offense, but I doubt you’ve ever even _seen_ a wild animal in your life.”

“Yeah, no, I haven’t,” Blu confirmed, ears lowering as he looked back towards the creature. “We could try running up the stream.”

“I doubt that’ll work but if all else fails...”

With a sigh, Blu scanned the beach. He was honestly at a loss of what to do. If either he or Bonnie had had a weapon they would have a chance, but-

“Hey, there’s Fredric and Foxy...”

Blinking, Blu looked at Bonnie and followed his gaze. It fell on Red, who was hanging back near the tree line, and Foxy carefully creeping across the sand, a knife clutched in each hand.

“Oh thank goodness,” he mumbled, watching as the Fox suddenly darted to the creature and, before it even had a chance to turn around, slammed one of the knives through its spine. The blood splattered across the sand as the beast shrieked, and both Rabbits flinched as Foxy quickly silenced its screaming. “W... Well, that’s one way to do it.” Honestly, Blu felt sick at the sight. _That was brutal._

It was almost funny, how squeamish it made him feel when he felt perfectly fine watching his own arm be brutalized just a year before.

Foxy waved towards them, and carefully Bonnie began making his way back to shore. Blu quickly went to follow, and as they stepped out of the water Bonnie groaned, “I can’t feel my fucking legs.”

“Same,” Blu whined, carefully stepping past Foxy and the thing’s carcass. “What even is this thing?”

“A Rotiline!” Foxy declared happily, hauling the thing up on his shoulder. “It be native to me planet!”

“W... native to your... planet?” Blu repeated, but before Foxy could confirm his words Red was by his side.

“We can get the silt another day,” Red told him, looking between both Rabbits. “I think for now both of you need to warm up. Let’s get back to camp before you two lose your legs.”

“Please tell me you’re exaggerating,” Bonnie mumbled as he headed towards the tree line.

“He’s not,” Blu called after the Rabbit. “It’s called frostbite, it-”

“I don’t wanna hear it!”

“Come on, Blu,” Red started, following the taller Rabbit and the Fox back towards the trees. “We’ll come back when the moons aren’t so close together.”

“Yeah,” Blu agreed, glancing back towards the stream. “Those things had perfect timing. It found us the moment we found the stream.”

“Another found me the other way.”

“Red...” He waited for the Bear to turn to him quietly, questioningly, before he asked, “How can a creature native to New Vulpinia be here?”

“I was wondering that too,” Red admitted, shaking his head slightly. “I don’t know.”

Blu frowned and pushed his way through the brush, considering this new circumstance. _It can’t just be chance... can it?_

* * *

“So let me get this straight. This creature from your planet just happens to be here?” Freddy sounded unsure and confused, suspicious almost, as the tale of their misadventure was finished.

“I know, so weird, right?” Mangle, at least, seemed to realize how _strange_ it was...

“This day gets stranger and stranger...”

“What do you mean?”

“Gold and I found something earlier.”

At Freddy’s words, Blu finally looked up towards the Bear and Fox. Mangle and Red had been to ones to fill the Bears in on everything that had happened while Foxy dealt with the meat, thankfully out of sight. Now, however, as the tale winded down Foxy had washed his hands in the stream and joined Blu, Bonnie and Spring by the fire.

Freddy and Goldie had been absent from the clearing when the Foxes, Red and the two Rabbits had returned, and had shown back up in the clearing not long after the fire had been started for the freezing Rabbits’ sakes.

“What’d you find?” Spring asked curiously from where he was lounging next to Bonnie, occasionally poking his brother’s leg... much to the violet Rabbit’s annoyance.

The Bears shared a look, and while Freddy glanced towards the moons Goldie simply said, “Follow us.”

“Not sure I want to,” Bonnie muttered, but a well-timed poke from the golden Rabbit prompted the Rabbit to stand and go after the twin Bears, right behind the Chickens and Mangle.

“Hey, wait!” Spring called, leaping up and following. Blu looked over at Red, raising a brow, before he stood up to follow as well. The younger Bear fell into step beside him as they followed the taller Animals.

As they walked, however, the forest around them seemed to change. Thick, full trees thinned out until what was left were nothing more than twigs reaching for the sky. Blu fell somewhat behind the group, examining the thin, dead trees reaching towards the too-blue sky. Reaching out, he let his hand brush over the bark; it was brittle and little pieces fell to the ground, practically turning to dust upon impact.

_These things are practically fossils,_ he mused to himself, hurrying to catch up with the others. The wind was warm and the sun beating down on them was even warmer. _Something isn’t right here._

Then the group stopped and Blu, eyes still on the trees around, ran straight into Red, causing the Bear to stumble before catching himself. “Sorry,” Blu muttered when Red glanced back at him, stepping aside to look at what, exactly, had everyone’s attention.

They were trees; neither was very tall and one had light coloured wood, starting thin before branches seemed to almost explode out at the top. Its branches were filled with deep green leaves and interspersed through them were light, almost-pink and yellow fruits. The other tree was much darker and seemed to twist in on itself, its trunk nearly four times as thick as the lighter tree. Its branches, however, reached more _up_ than _out,_ its leaves almost bright in comparison to its bark, and the golden-yellow fruits hanging randomly and in bunches of threes seemed to almost shine.

The first tree didn’t ring any bells in the Rabbit’s mind, but the second looked vaguely... familiar.

“I don’t get it,” Mike mumbled, walking over towards and around the strange, lighter tree. His blue eyes examined everything about the tree, his lips pulling down into a frown. _He recognizes it._ “This is a peach tree... what’s it doing _here?”_

“This is a Daiket,” Spring observed the second tree, a strange expression crossing his face as he touched the dark wood. “These are native to Lacatra, and not even under these conditions- how’s it growing _here_ of all places?”

“What’s its usual conditions?” Red questioned curiously, eying the trees suspiciously. The Lacatrans and Humans seemed to have no qualms about approaching them, not that that should have been a surprise; the trees were from their planets, apparently. _And if that isn’t already suspicious..._

“Direct sunlight for sixteen hours, darkness for around five,” Bonnie supplied, reaching for the strangely-yellow fruit hanging from the branches above his head. “It needs temperatures above eighty, at the very least- how did it survive the night?”

_I wonder._

Blu’s eyes fell to the base of the trees, frowning as he stared at the soil. This section of the forest wasn’t... in good shape, to say the least. The trees were completely _dead,_ more like fossils reaching towards what should have given them life. The two foreign fruit-bearing trees were the complete opposite; they both looked healthy and thick with leaves.

The soil itself was... lacking. It hadn’t really occurred to him on the walk there, but when he thought back he could distinctly remember how the soil had shifted and seemed to crunch under his feet, as if it held absolutely no moisture at all. Lightly he kicked at the dirt beneath his feet, frowning as it practically _fell_ apart, whatever grass managing to cling to it flying away in the light breeze.

_That’s not right._

“That’s the million dollar question,” Jeremy agreed with Bonnie, picking the soft pinkish-yellow fruit from a branch. “This shouldn’t have survived, either.”

The blue Rabbit knelt down and ran his fingers through the soil, watching as the individual particles seemed to cling to his fur. He frowned as he looked at his hand. “This doesn’t make sense...”

“We already established that, Cator,” Spring snorted, tossing one of the... yellow fruits from hand to hand.

“No, no, not that,” Blu muttered, then paused. “Well, yeah, _that’s_ weird too, but I mean- these things _can’t_ have grown here.”

“Why not?” Freddy questioned, raising a brow at the small blue Rabbit. It was a question asking for explanation- not an expression of disbelief, Blu understood.

_Freddy already knows that,_ he thought, looking down towards the sifting soil. _Everyone knows it. Why do they want an explanation?_

“The soil’s too sandy, even a little disturbance disperses it,” he started to explain, picking up some of the soil and letting it slide through his fingers- much like brown sand. “There’s pretty much no nutrients here- that’s why the trees native are dying in this area,” he added, glancing up towards the sky above. In other parts of the forest, a thick canopy would have been blocking their view. “The soil offers no grip, no nutrients- it doesn’t even contain enough water to satisfy a _worm.”_

“So what you’re saying is,” Red prompted, waving a hand for Blu to “get on with it” despite clearly already seeing where he was going.

Not understanding why they were making him spell it out, Blu let out a small breath and stood back up, holding the sand out for them to see. “The trees can’t have grown here.”

“Well they did,” Bonnie shot back, digging his nail into the yellow fruit and eying the juice that came out. “This planet is different, Bandi.”

_He doesn’t believe that,_ Blu immediately determined, watching how the Rabbit’s red eyes flickered over to him. _He knows that’s not true._

“It’s different,” Blu agreed, “but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t follow rules. This,” he emphasized, shaking the sand in his hand- because that was the only thing he could describe it as; _sand._ “This is a part of nature that says _hey, nothing can grow in me and if I’m all that’s left in the end then everything will die!_ You _can’t_ grow these kind of plants in sand. Sandy soil, maybe, but _not sand.”_ With that, he let the sand fall out of his hand.

Noticeably, all of it was caught by the wind.

“True,” Red agreed, glancing back at the trees again. “Besides, if they had grown here, why aren’t there more?”

_And why are two trees native to planets in different galaxies on_ this _planet? Good question, Red._

This combined with the Rotilines was very suspicious.

Frowning, Goldie turned to look at Blu. “So what you’re suggesting is that...”

“They didn’t _grow_ there, they were _placed_ there,” Blu finished with a nod, saying what all of them had clearly been thinking. “It’s the only way to explain how two trees from two different planets that are _lightyears_ from here- both of which grow and thrive under extremely different conditions too- happen to be in a dead section of the forest where the soil has been rendered nothing but sand.”

“But who would’a placed ‘em here?” Foxy finally spoke up, scowling slightly at the thought. “That don’t seem likely.”

With a shrug, Blu just said, “I don’t know. It’s not like I know what’s going on.” Almost carelessly, he tacked on, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say this was all some weird experiment and we’re the subjects.”

As the words left his mouth, he realized something terrible- something _horrible,_ something that had only occurred to him in passing before. Something that made _sense._

_Someone had to have placed the trees here... and someone had to have placed the Rotilines here... and... something healed my wounds..._

In the silence, his eyes met Freddy’s and the unspoken words seemed to hang between them.

“And... I _don’t_ know any better,” Blu mumbled, turning his emerald eyes to look at Red. His words seemed to have struck a chord with the Bear.

“That makes so much sense,” Goldie groaned, slapping his hands to his face. “Of _course_ it’s that- haven’t we been thinking that since, like, day one?” he added towards his brother.

“It crossed my mind,” Freddy admitted, glancing at Goldie. “More than once.”

“So wait,” Spring started, sharing a look with Bonnie, “you’re saying we’re part of an experiment?” Blu couldn’t help but notice neither Lacatran looked very surprised.

_This must have already crossed their minds too..._

“From the sounds of it, that’s exactly what they’re saying,” Mangle sighed dramatically, leaning on their fellow Fox. “But what could they possibly be experimenting or testing?”

“The other million dollar question,” Mike grumbled, crossing his arms and leaning against the peach tree. He looked highly agitated, moreso than Blu could remember seeing him before. “What’s the point of this?”

Blu glanced around, observing everyone standing there. He frowned as he began noticing... _something_ about _everyone_ standing there. _Lacatra, Ardraw... Earth, Avia... Vulpinia... Ursius, Lapinia..._ His ears twitched. “Oh...”

Bonnie glanced towards him and raised a brow. “What?”

“Think about it,” Blu muttered, barely loud enough for all of them to hear. “All of us are from different planets at different levels of technology with very different cultures...”

“What?” Bonnie repeated, though this time he actually sounded confused. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Look,” Blu sighed, pointing towards the Lacatrans. “You two are Lacatrans, who are without argument the least technologically advanced of us all since you embrace nature and reject anything Lapinian, and you have a clear, negative tie with Lapinians and, to a lesser degree, Ursians.” He moved his attention to Red. “You’re an Ardrawn, and even if you’re more advanced than Lacatra you’re still considered primitive by Ursian and Lapinian standards. You have clear ties with Ursius, more neutral than anything else but there’s still some tensions.” _Naturally._

Next he let his gaze fall to the Humans, thinking of the music player and everything the Humans had told him about their planet. “Earthlings, you’re at a “brink” level. You’re almost at the technological level where you’ll start exploring space as a species, not just with machines. If I’m not mistaken, you’re the only ones here that don’t have a one-world government.” Next to the Chickens- _rising order._ He didn’t know much about Avia, to be honest- prior to waking up he’d never even _heard_ of it, but he’d gotten a pretty good idea about it from their conversation that rainy night. “Avia, which is just slightly more advanced than Earth but is _completely_ different politically, culturally, and- well, pretty much in every way _except_ technology.”

Now to the Foxes, both of whom were watching him with raised brows. Clearly they were beginning to understand what he was getting at. _Vulpinia- New Vulpinia._ He didn’t know much about them either- only what he had read in historical texts. “Vulpinia- you guys were set back by several hundreds of years during the War that destroyed your planet, but you’re still considered among the technologically advanced races despite your absence from space exploration. Your planet and Avia work in a similar fashion but for completely different reasons.”

And finally, Lapinia’s greatest allies- the race that discovered the balance between nature and science, the balance that Lapinia rejected. “And Ursius- Lapinia’s closest ally and Ardraw’s origin planet. You’re really advanced and have almost gotten out of the home galaxy to explore other places.”

“And Lapinia?” Spring prompted, raising a brow.

“Well, Lapinia is considered the most advanced known race at this point in time, though there has been evidence of races _far_ more advanced than us,” Blu mumbled out the explanation. “Pretty much no natural experience, with exception to those who work on colony planets, and origin planet of and enemies to Lacatra. But really, I’m literally _the worst_ choice to represent Lapinia in an experiment, so they totally screwed up on that part.”

“This doesn’t really explain anything,” Jeremy sighed.

“Sure it does,” Goldie shrugged.

“It explains everything,” Freddy added, nodding slightly.

“You see,” Blu started, looking towards the confused man, “all of us are from extremely different cultures and we’re all used to extremely different things. All of us have our own experiences and knowledge that we’ll apply to the situation we’re in- and all of it is _different.”_

“The Rot’s a good example,” Mangle hummed thoughtfully, crossing their arms. “Bandi there went straight for the water, knowing it would be too cold for the Rot’ to risk.” Blu had to give Mangle props for that; although he had told them he went for the water, he hadn’t really explained to them _why._ “Knowing Bonnie he followed to try and keep Bandi from getting himself killed, which is typical collectivist ideals- for the pack, and all. Foxy and I knew exactly how to kill the Rot’ and Fredric was able to outrun it, amazingly enough. Had the rest of you been involved, undoubtedly you would have each reacted to the situation differently.”

“Basically,” Mike summarized, glancing at his fellow Human, “it’s testing how we react to certain circumstances and, probably, how we can reconcile those differences and work together.”

“That’s a shitty experiment,” Bonnie scoffed, glancing up.

“It’s behaviorism,” Blu said with a shrug. “Don’t forget that there was extreme tension in the very beginning caused by our differing behaviors, experiences and ties, and our relations to each other can really factor into it. For example, those two,” he nodded towards the other Rabbits, “wanted me dead almost immediately because I’m Lapinian, while the Ursians immediately noted that I was, ah...”

“Depressed?” Goldie suggested.

“A danger to yourself?” Freddy added, raising a brow.

“I’m not depressed,” Blu bit out, throwing a glare towards the Bears. Neither looked impressed. He continued on, saying, “They realized I was acting _oddly_ for a Lapinian, since they’ve interacted with Lapinian scientists before. On the other hand, the Humans and Chickens didn’t have any preconceived notions of me since none of them knew of Lapinia in the first place and reserved judgment, the Foxes only know of Lapinia historically, and Red had his opinions but didn’t really judge me until he had spoken to me, since he’d never personally interacted with Lapinians before.”

“The point?” Mike prompted.

“You have two groups with personal experience with Lapinians,” Blu sighed, a little frustrated that his meaning wasn’t instantly understood. “One _extremely_ negative experience, one a neutral-positive experience. Then you have someone else who only knows of Lapinian behavior by hearsay, two groups who weren’t even aware other planets held life at all, and one more who only know of us through their history _thousands_ of years ago. Everyone reacted to me differently based on their experiences, or lack thereof, with my planet.”

“Just extend that same mentality to _other_ things,” Goldie supplied. “Like the, uh, Rotiline. Personally, my brother and I are used to circumstances and situations wholly different from what either Lapinians or Lacatrans are used to, even though Ursius is generally considered to be a balance between the two lifestyles.”

“They selected people with completely different backgrounds, experiences, cultures, and knowledge on purpose,” Freddy continued. “If it’s a behavioral experiment, then it’s most likely they were wanting to observe how we would react in certain situations and how we would clash- maybe even to see how likely we are to resort to violence when we don’t agree.” He very pointedly looked at the Lacatrans, who just looked back at him.

“It might also be observing adaptability,” Red mused thoughtfully, glancing up towards the sky. “To see if we’re able to adapt to our surroundings and each other. I mean, right off the bat Foxy was wanting to split up, the Lacatrans wanted Blu gone, and Blu has no real survival skills- no offense, Blu.”

“Completely taken,” the Rabbit grumbled, much to the amusement of the others.

“The point is,” Red sighed, waving his hand in the air- a gesture that Blu didn’t really understand. “We’ve all adapted to this group setting, the Lacatrans seemed to have... somewhat accepted Blu as part of the group, and Blu’s been adapting on the fly to his surroundings and figuring out... strange but oddly effective ways to get around his lack of survival skills. Which is actually kind of surprising, I had always imagined Lapinians would just sort of freeze up in these kind of situations... your race is technologically dependent, after all...”

Blu just shrugged, glancing aside awkwardly. “I’m not like most Lapinians,” he muttered, ignoring the way the Ursians looked at him. “I have strange interests. Like I said, if they were wanting to observe the behaviors exhibited by different planets and cultures, I was the worst pick for Lapinia.”

“I feel like they would have been observing us beforehand,” Mike sighed, leaning against the peach tree. “I mean- why would they pick at random, instead of picking the, uh... optimal subjects?”

“Maybe you’re a part of it _because_ you’re not like most Lapinians,” Goldie added, glancing towards Blu. “I mean, I think any other Lapinian would have died by now.”

“We’ll just ignore the fact that I’ve almost died several times now,” Blu snorted mirthlessly.

“Almost doesn’t count.”

“Besides,” Spring put in, “Bonnie and Fredric have almost gotten killed, too.”

“Yeah, and that was _because_ of me,” Blu pointed out dryly, raising a brow at the Lacatran.

“I doubt they would have wanted any of their, ah... subjects to die,” Freddy sighed, shaking his head. “That could very well be why you were selected. As you said, you still have the experiences of a Lapinian, even if you have a wholly different mindset. And perhaps that different mindset is what has kept you from being killed.”

Blu raised a brow but didn’t protest, simply shrugging. _If that’s so, then what’s the logic behind the rest of you being here?_ He didn’t voice his thought, watching as everyone turned to their own conversations, debating on whether or not they should trust the fruit in the trees.

Although Blu was confident they had pieced some of the puzzle together, he couldn’t help but feel like they were missing something important.


	24. Understanding (and the Lackthereof)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo okay please don't kill me but this has been ready for... a few... months... now...?
> 
> It's not the best and I personally feel like it's more filler, but suspicions are rising. This chapter, I won't lie, has a bit of Bonsha focus. Sorry if y'all don't want that @_@ It also has a bit of cultural reference, and brings up not just Blu's unwilingness but inability to bring himself to tell them things... but he still manages to let things slip out.

Shafred watched Bonsha pacing from a distance, leaning against the wall of the Rabbit’s room. Bonsha seemed somewhat agitated but Shafred wasn’t about to call him out on it- he’d just deny it anyway, the Bear knew.

“Daiket and peaches,” he said instead, watching as Bonsha stumbled in surprise. “And rotilines. If they didn’t already know what was going on they certainly do now.”

Bonsha just scoffed, flicking his ears. “Trust me, on some level they’ve known this entire time,” he stated matter-of-factly. “What are you doing here, Shafred?”

“Just thought you would like an update on the project is all,” he answered, studying how the Rabbit dropped down onto his bed. “Lapinian and Lacatran have made a truce, and albeit reluctant they finally had a decent meal of fruit and, for the Bears, Humans and Foxes, meat. The Rabbits were all quite horrified, they seemed to bond over that a bit.”

The Rabbit snorted derisively. “Of course,” he agreed. “It’s not in Lapinian _or_ Lacatran culture to eat meat.”

“Do Lapinians even eat real food?”

“Real food, sure. Organic food, no.”

“Right. Pity.”

Bonsha raised a brow at him. “Much more efficient, though,” he said dismissively. “You should go to bed as well, Shafred. You have not slept in two calendar days.”

He watched his partner as the Rabbit began shifting around on the bed, as if he was actually about to sleep. Shafred knew better, though. “Of course,” he agreed, pushing away from the wall. “Rest well.”

If Bonsha responded, Shafred didn’t know; he swept out of the room before the black-furred Rabbit stood any chance at answering. He wouldn’t be sleeping, though; he had things to do. A project to run.

 _And honestly,_ he thought to himself, _if Bonsha wants so badly to manipulate this project he really needs to learn to cover his tracks..._

* * *

 Blu wrinkled his nose at the scent of smoky, burning flesh filling the clearing. “Yeah, Red, if you’re eating that I am not sitting beside you,” he told the Bear.

“Not a fan of meat?” Red asked, arching a brow at him. Blu pouted, noting he looked amused.

“I’m a Rabbit,” he reminded the Bear, opening his mouth slightly and tapping on his own teeth. Aside from the slightly longer two front teeth, they were smooth, flat and all perfectly aligned, just like any proper Lapinian’s would be. “I don’t have those kind of teeth, anyway. Rabbits are herbivores.”

“I had a pet rabbit once,” Jeremy mused out loud. Blu looked at him strangely. “He stole my turkey sandwich once and ate everything _but_ the lettuce, so I’m not sure they’re _completely_ herbivore.”

“You kept a Rabbit as a pet?” Spring asked, horrified. Blu was just as disturbed, but Jeremy just looked confused.

“What?” Then realization seemed to dawn on him. “Oh! No, no! Not _Rabbit,_ as in _rabbit,_ like, walks-around-on-four-legs, smaller-than-a-loaf-of-bread, hops-around-and-lives-underground rabbit!”

Blu was not the only one confused by this description- he’d never met a full-grown Rabbit below four feet, and those that came close had always been Dwarf Rabbits from a former colony- but Mike was howling with laughter, so clearly he understood what was going on.

The Bears, Foxes and Chickens looked equally bemused as the Rabbits.

Apparently deciding to take the Human’s words at face value, Bonnie sniffed, offended. “We’re not _pets.”_

“I didn’t mean rabbits like _you_ three!” Jeremy frantically tried to explain. Blu’s ear twitched- he wasn’t used to being lumped together with Lacatrans. He wisely kept his mouth shut. “Like- on Earth, we have little versions of all of you- well, not the Bears, bears on Earth are, like, a hell of a lot bigger and scarier- but- not like- not _your_ kind of Rabbit-”

“Jeremy, just give up and say sorry,” Mike interrupted with a cackle, wiping a nonexistent tear from his eye.

The lighter-haired man’s shoulders sagged in defeat. “Sorry.”

“The Rotiline be done cookin’, anyway,” Foxy announced, lifting the meat slabs off the makeshift rack over the fire. Blu made a face and took a step back.

“I think I’ll stick to plant matter,” he stated. The other two Rabbits just nodded their agreement.

Chica eyed the meat distastefully. “Same here,” she decided.

“Same,” Chii sighed, shaking her head slightly. Notably, she looked less disgusted than the others or even Blu himself. “You guys enjoy your, uh, Rotiline, though!”

“Will do, lass!” Mangle laughed, taking some of the meat and taking a bite of it. Blu paled slightly, noticing it was still somewhat red in the center, and felt like he was going to be sick.

“Yeah, I’m not watching this,” Chica deadpanned, standing up. “I’m gonna go get the fire _inside_ started since it’s late anyway, and I’ll eat in there.”

“I’ll join you,” Chii was quick to say.

“Aw, what’s wrong?” Goldie teased, grinning. “Does it bother you to watch?”

Blu levelled Goldie with the most unimpressed look he could muster. “You know,” he started, “a long, long time ago, before Rabbits became the dominant species, there were other creatures on Lapinia. And they ate Rabbits.”

The grin dropped from Goldie’s face and Freddy promptly hit his brother upside the head.

“Honestly, Gold, of all people, _you_ should have known that,” Freddy scolded, frowning.

“What?! I know _Ursian_ history, not _Lapinian_ history!”

“We took an entire _course_ on Lapinian history! Remember?!”

Bonnie and Blu shared a look before the former shrugged. “I think we should join the Chickens,” the violet Rabbit said to him, and Blu just nodded in agreement. Bonnie stood up and went towards the shelter, leaving Blu looking straight back at a confused golden Rabbit.

Blinking, Spring glanced between Blu and Bonnie before getting up and hurrying after his brother.

Blu felt a hand on his shoulder and looked over at Red, who was frowning softly at him. “What’s wrong?” Blu asked, concerned.

“I’m sorry if you’re disturbed,” Red said to him. “I-”

“Don’t apologize,” Blu almost laughed, smiling at his friend. “You’re free to eat whatever you want and need. Just like I’m free to follow my fellow vegetarians to the hut.” He shifted his weight to his other leg. “I’ll get used to it eventually, but right now- not so much.”

Red didn’t look very reassured but he nodded in understanding. Blu just gave him a grin and followed the Rabbits and Chickens to the hut, slipping inside and going to the corner he had, in some way, claimed as his own.

Sometimes he forgot just how different he and the Ursians were... and how much more like the Lacatrans he was. Funny, he thought, how the Lapinians were more like their enemy than their ally.

Technology really wasn’t everything, after all.

He glanced up at Bonnie to find the larger Rabbit watching him. Bonnie raised a brow and held a fruit up.

“Daiket?”

* * *

 The shadows were out again. No one slept, instead keeping close to the fire. Goldie and Freddy were in front of the door, as if to make sure it wouldn’t open, and the Foxes were with the Chickens, speaking in low tones barely audible over the crackling fire.

Red was sitting beside Blu, his focus on keeping the fire going, and the Lacatran brothers were, Blu assumed, trying to bypass the translator to speak in their native language... with what seemed to be little success.

The Humans were on Blu’s other side, talking about... Earth things. Honestly, Blu could not understand what they were talking about at all- what was “football?” And why was “American football” different? And what in the world was a _mcdonalds?!_ It made no sense to Blu so he just tuned it out and stared into the flames, lost to his own thoughts.

He didn’t understand why the shadows didn’t destroy the shelter to try and get to them... did those... things... even know that they were in there? _They can obviously hear, but can they smell? Can they figure out where we are, or how to get in here? And if they do, the fire..._

It was confusing. _They knew we were in here the first night spent inside but none of them have gone for the door or tried to destroy the wall... I wonder why..._

The Rabbit just couldn’t figure it out. There was no doubt in his mind those things knew they were in the hut, so what was keeping them at bay? The suns had set a while before the moons met so it wasn’t the light...

A hand brushed against his ear, sending a chill through his body. _“The Rabbit from before seems to be a traitor,”_ that voice murmured in his ear, its hands settling on his shoulders. Blu tensed up, feeling unable to move as he stared at the fire. _“Lucky for you, Bandi Cator. It seems you have an ally in those who have done this...”_

_That Lapinian from earlier...?_

His heart practically stopped. _Lapinia_ is _behind this?!_

 _“No,”_ the voice actually laughed, hands tightening on Blu’s shoulders. _“The Lapinian is only one of them. Look around, Bandi Cator... look around, and look close. You will see it.”_

Then the clawed hands disappeared and Blu could feel himself again. He looked around, finding absolutely no one paying him any mind; this time, at least, none of them had noticed.

 _Look around?_ he repeated, eyes scanning around the hut. The floor was packed and the walls were still in the process of being papered with leaves- insulation, Red had explained to him, so they wouldn’t lose heat or let the cold in from between the slats- and the ceiling was covered in leaves on top, save for the raised bit covering the opening for the smoke. The center of the hut was clear dirt lined with stone so that the wood-and-leaf floor wouldn’t catch fire.

There was nothing else to see.

 _“Closer,”_ that voice hissed in his mind and Blu winced, unable to stop it. _“Look closer! The corner!”_

 _Alright, just stop that!_ Rubbing his head, Blu slowly stood up. Red glanced up at him, raising a brow, but Blu just shook his head at him and moved, carefully, towards the wall. His ears twitched, eyes scanning over the wall, looking for something- anything- that would tell him just what the voice was on about.

He didn’t actually see the thing itself... but he saw movement, as if something were trying to move away from him. He reacted without really thinking, snatching the _thing_ out of the air. It seemed to almost writhe in his palm, the metal sharp and cold against his palm.

Gritting his teeth, Blu squeezed his hand just a little tighter, feeling the metal bend but not break. The device immediately stopped its struggling.

“Bandi?” Freddy called, and Blu realized his actions had gotten a lot more than the Ardrawn’s attention. Blu looked over at the Ursians, frowning. “What was that about?”

Blu opened his hand, peering down at the little device- so small it had gone unnoticed until then- sitting in his palms, its metal bent so that it could no longer move. “I found a camera,” he answered Freddy, moving back towards the fire.

“A camera?” Mike sounded surprised. “So they really are monitoring us.”

“What’s a camera?” Bonnie asked, confused.

“It’s a thing that records sight and sounds,” Blu told him. “It must’ve been watching us this whole time...”

“That’s creepy,” Spring said, scowling.

“It makes sense,” Chica said with a shrug, looking around at them. “They had to have been watching us somehow, right?”

“Right,” Spring muttered, glaring off to the side.

“Bandi, bring it over here,” Freddy requested, and Blu made his way over to the Bear, showing him the little black camera in his hand. Gingerly Freddy plucked it out of Blu’s palm and studied it, frowning. “This looks like Ursian technology.”

Blu’s ears flicked, his frown sharpening. He’d known it wasn’t Lapinian technology- Lapinia had employed the use of cameras in the past, of course, but much, much smaller and less visible- but Ursian technology was a red flag in his mind. _Lapinian on the planet, Ursian tech being used..._

“There’s probably more around,” Jeremy sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Geez, those things probably saw us bathing.”

“Perverts,” Mangle huffed, crossing their arms. “Let’s kill ‘em.”

“I doubt we can,” Goldie snorted, taking the camera from Freddy now. “These are long-range devices. Whoever put them out here might not even be on the planet.”

“Damn.”

 _Should I say anything?_ His eyes flicked to the camera, and then he looked around. _We already know about the experiment, would that Rabbit really try to harm us if I mention him? That voice said he’s an ally, though... and he has something to do with why the shadows aren’t attacking, maybe?_ But at the end of the day, he knew, that Rabbit had been Lapinian... and they had just found an Ursian camera. _This will look bad for all of us three._

Sighing, Blu went back to Red’s side and sat down. “This is making me very uneasy.”

“It takes this to make you uneasy?” Bonnie asked, raising a brow at Blu. The smaller Rabbit pouted at him.

“Well I’ve been utterly _terrified_ up until this point,” he stated matter-of-factly. “I think I have, anyway. It’s weird. But this just makes me uneasy.”

“Why?” Freddy asked before Bonnie could say anything more. “Do you know something the rest of us don’t?”

Blu hesitated. _Should I?_ After a few moments of consideration, he said, “A few nights ago... I think it was a few nights, I’m losing track of time... but when I went out at night I ran into another person.”

“Another person?” Chii sounded worried, sharing a look with her Chicken companion. Blu nodded slightly, glancing aside.

“Yeah. Another person. And combined with the camera it makes me... really worried.”

“Why?”

“Because the person I ran into was a Lapinian,” Blu answered, looking over towards the Ursians. “Someone I didn’t recognize. They knocked me down, basically said “tell anyone I’m here and I’ll find out,” and then ran off into the forest.”

“So Lapinia _is_ behind this?” Spring asked suspiciously. “Lapinia and Ursius?”

“I don’t think so, actually,” Blu told him, shaking his head, unsure of how to explain it. “I think that Rabbit is actually, uh... helping us?”

“Helping us,” Bonnie repeated flatly.

“Yes, helping us,” Blu huffed, ears flattening. “I don’t know how to explain it, but if Lapinia was behind this then we’d be in a much more controlled environment, and they’d be using Lapinian tech instead of Ursian, and Ursius has laws that state experiments like this are not allowed and if Lapinia even _thought_ about doing this to Ursians then the entire alliance would probably be destroyed. But that’s not the point- the point is I don’t think Lapinia itself has anything to do with this.”

“Besides, if it was Lapinia I doubt they’d have gotten the General Commander’s son,” Goldie added helpfully.

“Unless they thought he was too soft,” Bonnie countered.

“If they thought I was too soft letting me go off-world is the last thing they’d do,” Blu told him. He muttered to himself, “They’d send me to the Camps...”

“Okay,” Bonnie sat up straighter, “that’s the second or third time you mentioned “camps.” What the hell are those?”

Blinking, Blu looked over at Bonnie. “It’s nothing.”

“You know, I can’t help but think that sounds vaguely familiar,” Goldie commented to Freddy, who nodded thoughtfully in agreement.

“Father took us along with him to Lapinia once,” Freddy reminded his brother, “to see what our job in the future would be like. We were sat outside and overheard some Lapinian kids freaking out, something about failing some endurance test.”

Blu’s gaze snapped over to Freddy, eyes widening slightly. _No no no, they’re not supposed to know about that!_

Seeming to not notice his reaction, Freddy continued saying, “Kid was almost crying, saying they were coming to get him in a few days to take him to ‘the camps.’”

“So it’s like... summer camp?” Mike suggested, not picking up on how the blue Rabbit next to him tensed.

“Endurance test?” was what Red focused on. He looked at Blu quizzically. “What’s that?”

“I’d like to know, too,” Freddy admitted. “When we asked our father he had no idea. Simply said the Lapinians keep their practices to themselves.”

Blu’s hand twitched but he managed to not let it go to his arm. “It’s nothing, really,” he said, hating the way his voice wavered. Now they were all looking at him, and he knew they caught his lie. “You know Lapinia- they love their tests and all that.”

“Bandi,” Freddy started warningly, watching him. “It’s okay if you don’t want to say anything about it, but do not look at us and lie to our faces.”

“No, it’s not okay if he doesn’t want to say anything,” Goldie said, frowning. “Bandi, what the hell is the endurance test and what are these camps?”

Blu swallowed, his heart racing too fast. _No no no, they’re not supposed to know about that. How can I spin this- how?!_

“He doesn’t have to say anything if he doesn’t want to,” Chii huffed towards Goldie, earning a scowl from the golden Bear.

“Yes he does,” Spring argued. “How are we supposed to work together or whatever it is we’re doing here if he’s _lying_ to us?”

“Ye just want more ammunition against Lapinia,” Foxy accused the Lacatran hotly.

“Ammunition?! I don’t even know what that word means!”

“He doesn’t have to say anythin’ he doesn’t want to!”

“We deserve to know-”

The situation quickly devolved from there, Blu’s ears lowering as everyone took a side- _yes he does, no he doesn’t._ He didn’t even understand why they all wanted to know- they weren’t Lapinian or on Lapinia, they’d never have to go through anything like it. It was none of their business! Why couldn’t they just let it go?

He felt a hand, warm and comforting, on his back, and he lifted his gaze to meet Red’s. The Bear was obviously concerned.

“Blu,” Red started quietly, his voice almost drowned out by the all-out war that had started, “I know you don’t want to talk about Lapinia. But we’re all worried and just want to help you. We can’t help you if you keep things to yourself.” He took a breath and finished with, “If you don’t want to tell us, it’s alright. I understand.”

Blu’s ears twitched as the argument only got louder, and he knew it wouldn’t be alright with some of the others.

 _“We want to help you,”_ Red had said.

Red was looking at him quietly, earnestly, and Blu knew he was speaking the truth- he only wanted to help Blu... but they wouldn’t know how if he didn’t tell them what was wrong- his life on Lapinia, Lapinian culture, his experiences, why he was the way he was...

He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but found he couldn’t. The words refused to come out.

_I can’t. I can’t tell them. I just- I’m not..._

“I don’t think I’m ready to open up,” Blu all but whispered, looking to the fire again.

“I know,” Red assured him, gently patting his back. “I understand.”

“Will all of you just shut the hell up?!” Bonnie finally snapped, grabbing Spring’s ear and yanking back on it, cutting the golden Rabbit’s words off with a yelp. “For the love of the gods, stop acting like it’s your right to know!”

“Oh come on, Bonnie,” Spring whined, rubbing his ear, “you know you want to know, too.”

“Yeah but it’s not my damn _right_ to know,” Bonnie told his brother. “You guys should be ashamed of yourselves.”

Goldie had the decency to look guilty as Freddy seemed, surprisingly, proud that Bonnie had taken the “he doesn’t have to tell” side. Blu supposed it must have been surprising, considering how Bonnie had been acting up until then.

Blu, however, was unsure if Bonnie only did so because of their... truce, or if the noise was just starting to overwhelm him.

“Thank you, Bonnie,” Freddy said approvingly, giving his brother a look. “At least some people know what’s up.”

“Shut up, Freddy,” Goldie muttered, looking pointedly away from his brother.

“Make me, Aureus.”

There was a beat of silence before Goldie looked back at Freddy. “Did you really just call me by that stupid name, _Frederick?!”_

“Ha! You owe me five bucks when we get back to Earth, Mike,” Jeremy cackled as Mike just scowled. “I knew those couldn’t be your real names!”

“Heh, we got a Frederick and a Fredric. Nice,” Chica commented, amused. Blu felt anything but amused, though.

“Wait,” Blu uttered, looking towards the Bears. “You two are Aureus and Frederick?”

“Yes, we are,” Goldie huffed, glaring at his younger brother. “Something we had agreed to not, you know, say, because we hate those names.”

“Aureus and Frederick Fazbear?”

This caused the Bears to pause, and they both turned to look at Blu. “Yes,” Freddy confirmed. “We told you that when we first met.”

“I thought it was a coincidence,” Blu uttered, staring at the brothers. “I thought you were- were nephews, or cousins, or something, not...”

He trailed off, unsure of where he was going with it. He had met Franc Fazbear once, only once, when his father brought him home to meet his perfect little family, the intelligent head-of-science wife and the obedient genius son. Franc Fazbear had been kind enough, mentioning how he wished his sons were as obedient as Blu, but... something about the way he had looked at Blu had sent shivers down Blu’s spine, and to that day still continued to do so.

The next time he saw the Bear he had told his parents that he needed to study and hid in his room. _Something_ about that Bear made him uncomfortable, though he just couldn’t figure out why...

“I met your father once,” he simply said, dropping his gaze back to the fire. “He mentioned you two.”

“Funny, he never mentioned you,” Goldie said slowly, raising a brow. “You don’t sound very enthusiastic.”

“I don’t like him,” was all Blu said. Neither Bear asked why, simply glancing at each other with small frowns.

* * *

 “He really doesn’t act like a Lapinian.”

Bonsha barely glanced up at the Human, frowning. “You presume to know much about Lapinia.”

“Drop the formality, Bonsha,” Fritz snorted, sauntering over to the black-furred Rabbit. Bonsha's ears twitched in irritation- he wasn't opposed to the Human's presence, of course, but he didn't like how he just walked into his room. “Yeah, I get it, I’m just an Earthling who didn’t know Lapinia even existed a few calendar years ago, but even I can tell he’s weird.”

“Weird is not the way I’d put it,” Bonsha scoffed, looking back at the holoscreen and watching as the Animals around the Bear twins settled down to try and get some sleep. The Lapinian in question seemed hesitant to sleep so close to others, but Bonsha could understand. He wasn’t used to it, but there simply wasn't space in the shelter...

“Alright, let me use other words then; afraid, jumpy, traumatized, completely unsure-”

“I get your point, Fritz!” Bonsha snapped, closing his eyes and running a hand across his face. He really didn't need this. “He was abused and is suffering for it- he wasn’t properly brainwashed before the torture began. He hates Lapinia more than those Lacatrans do, yet he still feels compelled to keep its secrets. He was taught to through fear. He is the same as any other Lapinian, the only difference is he does not embrace technology but resents it. This is the first time he has had anyone he could call friend and felt like he could trust, and yes, it will take time before he can open up to them. The programming runs deep in us, you know.”

“Sounds like you were keeping tabs on him before this experiment began.”

Bonsha paused, opening his eyes and glancing over at Fritz. The Human was watching him, frowning.

After a few moments, Bonsha said, “I’ve kept tabs on him ever since I first found out Akrai Cator even had a child. You know why.”

“Yet you didn’t volunteer him for this experiment until after Shafred ran across the bug in his room, and you saw an opening to get him off the planet and out of Cator's reach. Did you even tell Shafred why there was a bug in his room?”

“It’s none of your nor his concern,” Bonsha informed the Human snappishly, turning back to the window to look down on the planet below. “Shafred wouldn’t have understood.”

“You really don’t give your friends credit,” Fritz said, rolling his eyes. “I think Shafred would understand better if you, y’know, stopped lying to him. He knows you’re manipulating this.”

“Of course he knows, but the less he knows the better it will be for him in the long run. He has no personal interest in this experiment, he's only involved because Fueller wanted him to keep an eye on me. He’s an intelligent Bear- he’s known I was manipulating it before you did.”

“Yet,” Fritz started, taking a step back to head to the door, “he hasn’t turned you in to Fueller. So maybe you should just trust that he’s on your side in this, and accept that he’s helping you betray the Eye.”

Bonsha’s ears twitched as Fritz left his room, teeth clenched.

 _Shafred,_ he thought, _betray the Eye? That’s a laugh- he’s the one who brought me to them in the first place._ Taking a breath, he turned back to his holoscreen, switched to a new perspective and began moving the camera, slipping outside the shelter to check the moons. _Shafred’s been here for a long time. He’d never betray Fueller._

 _But then... why_ hasn’t _he turned me in?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would just like to note that chickens are not herbivores at all, but Chii and Chica are from a culture that does not eat meat XD (Maybe they will in the future, who knows)
> 
> Rabbits, no matter if they're Lapinian or Lacatran or something else, have very good reflexes.  
> Also we see here that Shafred, a long-time member of the group conducting this experiment, is covering Bonsha's sorry ass trail. Bonsha, honestly, you're a super-smart Lapinian, how the hell do you not know how to cover your own tracks?  
> Well... I know why. Y'all just have to stick around for the long-ass time it'll take to reveal.  
> (Also if you don't figure out what Bonsha's interest in Blu is soon, I will be very disappointed. I'm trying to make it obvious without outright saying it, so you can feel a sense of accomplishment when the truth comes out!)


End file.
